Chapter. 03 The Gun on her Head

'What exactly is going on'?

Kurumi was standing on the roof of a house when suddenly, a light wrapped around her and dragged her away. No, that wasn't entirely right. Kurumi could see the sky that turned from morning into darkness, and a corrosive mist flooded the area. She looked down at her body. Everything was still there, her dress, boots, hair, and Skinn, but still, she could tell that something felt off. Even if her eyes showed how real she was and her fingers touched the warm skin, the sense that had already saved her from countless situations said she was not herself. 'What happened?'

Not long ago, Kurumi met a spirit that told her about a boy with extraordinary abilities. Abilities to change the world if she would use it correctly. As a curious girl, Kurumi naturally decided to investigate Phantom's information, as the boy's powers might be the key needed to change the past.

But she had not reckoned with the event to be summoned as a heroic spirit. How could she have seen beyond the edge of her world? With narrowed eyes and a Flintlock pistol in her right hand, Kurumi stooped through the mist dense as a swamp. It felt strange on the skin. It was not moist and crackled with unnatural energy that smelled worse than anything that could be described. The storm that enveloped her out of the blue slowly subsided. Dust and light settled. The outline of a person dawned at the mists end. With her guard up, she cautiously approached the stranger's appearance. But she felt also curious at the thought of a being capable of defining almighty rules.

Laila, a young woman with pink, messy hair and mummy-like skin, stood before Kurumi. Without hesitation, she pressed her Flintlock pistol against the young woman's forehead. Ready to kill at any moment. But then she saw the clouded eyes losing their shine. Blood dripped down the outstretched hand, which fell trembling and powerless to the side. Kurumi could see the confusion and bewilderment in Laila's eyes, which were no longer able to perceive their surroundings.

"What happened?" Laila's voice was so quiet that the wind nearly breezed it away.

They stood like this shortly until Laila's eyes rolled backward, and she collapsed to the dried grass surrounded by the rotten prana. Since the only source of danger was harmless now, Kurumi took the opportunity to familiarize herself with the strange surroundings, as she didn't like not having control over the situation. At the moment, she was nothing more than a defenseless target.

Kurumi was in a backyard garden. She stood on the runes written on the floor earlier. She did not need to think. Obviously, she could only curse this strange construct for her tricky situation. A large house stood behind it while the door was wide open.

Kurumi cursed inwardly. She was so close to her goal, and now she stood in a place that couldn't have been further away from home. The only way to achieve her objective would be to find a way back. In the distance, she heard a car. It passed by the side of the house without even questioning the crazy event. But still, something was strange to her. The world felt different, literally pressing against her existence. Not even the clones answered her call. She felt alone. Everything she kept in her shadow had disappeared.

Dejectedly, she looked down at the floor. Kurumi considered her clones as friends and some even family, but now the shadow was empty. She was aware that she could have treated her clones better, but no emotions should hinder her goals. Now that she had no one by her side, she reveled in thoughts of the time when everything was normal, before the spirit she considered a friend betrayed her. In some ways, Kurumi's life had been a complete disaster, though she had the strength to erase that mistake from history. But she needed a way back.

Kurumi whirled around as she felt the flow of something moving into her spirit. She followed the sensation and concluded that it must come from Laila, unconscious on the ground. However, the energy was strange to Kurumi. It was not spiritual power. But still, it was a kind of energy she could absorb and instinctively knew how to use. With her foot, she nudged the lifeless body twice and turned Laila onto her back.

Even in sleep, exhaustion dragged down her face. But Laila did not move. Kurumi held her fingers over the girl's nose and let the air flow over her skin. The warm flow of air was weak and barely noticeable under the windy night. She felt relieved that the woman was still alive. Kurumi had a connection with the girl; she couldn't say why but knew it was not harmful. 'Who else is going to explain to me what is going on?'

"I have to admit you have piqued my interest. Provided you're the one who brought me here. But even if you are in the same situation as me, I could imagine working with you. After all, we seem to be in the same boat."

The wind had almost shut the back door, and only a little gap was still visible. Kurumi threw Laila's unconscious body over her shoulder before leaping to the teetering door of massive wood. For the superhuman strength she possessed, Laila could be compared to a feather. It didn't take long to find a couch, onto which she threw the unconscious body and a blanket to keep the girl warm and comfortable since the room was not notably more generous than the frozen temperature outside.

It would probably take some time before Laila would dive back into the realm of the living. In the meantime, Kurumi decided to gather information on her current situation.

She first had to familiarize herself with the rules. Being blind in the enemy territory could be dangerous even for her. Aimlessly, she strolled through the hallway. Opening door after door, she peered through the gap, looking for books, maps, or other things. The house was full of books but lacked technology. There was no computer to access the Internet, as Magi had other methods to contact and share information that she didn't know. Like the magi, Kurumi also didn't use any electronic devices to get information and concluded that they had to use other methods as well.

She quickly searched all corners of the house, and only the basement remained shut. This was not because the door was locked. A bounded field protected the room and hid it from the naked eye. But unfortunately, Kurumi could feel the mana emanating from the secret passageway. She knocked a few times on the old wood and waited to see if anything would happen.

Shrugging her shoulders, Kurumi went a step back before a bang shook the walls. Wood splintered in all directions when the magic field collapsed in on itself. With a kick, the door flew open, and she entered the hidden room.

"What do you think we have here?" Curiously, she looked around. The room looked like a laboratory with a built-in library. At the end was a large table on which rested a fan. The wind flowed around the object, ready to strike. To the left of it were shelves with dozens of books, while the right side housed countless jars of substances and other things. Things because Kurumi could not pin down exactly what she saw there. Numerous jars with liquids and substances, some of which had the shape of body parts.

Her curiosity finally drove her to the fan. With her left hand, she grasped the handle and slowly opened it. Dark metal held the black fabric, and golden runes had been worked into the metal with the finest work. The fan was light and almost floated in her hand. It was something special. Kurumi could feel how smoothly the wind was swaying around it. A slight movement of the wrist created a shock that threw the broken door against the stairs. She could feel the energy stored inside the object, identical to the mana that flowed inside her.

Holding her chin, Kurumi thought for a moment. Not a single clone was left, and it was necessary to strengthen her ranks and defenses as soon as possible. She immediately had a purpose for the energy inside, even if the object was undoubtedly meaningful to the owner.

"Slept well, my dearest?" asked a soft voice that ran through Laila's body like a lullaby. Her head ached, making her memories hard to access. The stress of the unique ritual yesterday exhausted her entire body to such an extent that every muscle screamed with the slightest move. Even the family crest still burned on the back. Laila hoped that everything was fine with it. If it were damaged, not only would the archive with all the knowledge of her ancestors disappear, but the Taylor family could also cause problems.

'Wait a minute. Who was that?' She hadn't noticed the voice in her head until now and couldn't remember having a visitor. Slowly, her eyes opened.

Tears blurred everything, but Laila recognized a person with ivory skin sitting opposite her on the armchair. She wore her black hair in twin tails and a red and black Gothic Lolita dress. A net bow in the same color held the hair. The right eye seemed tinted red, while the left one was golden. Laila froze before the beauty sitting on the armchair with crossed legs.

"You've slept like a princess, but sadly for you, I'm not the prince to wake you up," She smiled, but those eyes followed Laila like hawks. She had no idea who was sitting in front of her. However, she wanted to disappear into the sofa in front of the radiating aura that immersed the whole room. The revolver in her right hand did not help to calm her, even if it was pointed away. Like a cat, her hair stood on end, and her fingers clawed into the blanket under which she would have liked to disappear. Escape from the fear this young woman was to Laila.

"Oh, I think you're getting the wrong idea about me." Imidientely seeing the fear in Laila's eyes and the pale skin, Kurumi straightened forward and smiled like the spring. "I just want to have a few words with you."

Laila nodded cautiously but remained silent. Kurumi had opened a safe bridge. Laila only had to be obedient and answer the questions if she wanted to get out of this in one piece. However, Laila could not be sure whether Kurumi kept her word. While she panicked and looked for other ways to escape, Laila noticed the fan on her right. It was a tool to help magus execute their magic. She wasn't sure why it was lying there, but hope lightened her. Even if not complete, a blunt sword is still a lethal weapon.

"I would advise against that, my love." Kurumi, who was following Laila's gaze closely, saw her eyes gleam hopefully at the sight of the fan. The previously gentle voice was now as sharp as a knife. That could pierce the heart at any moment. Laila froze at the thought of what would happen and looked at the floor with wet eyes.

"How about you tell me your name first? After all, I have the feeling we'll be seeing each other for a long time in the future." Laila wasn't sure what the woman meant but answered anyway.

"Laila."

"A beautiful name. Say, was it you who summoned me here? We took the liberty of rummaging through your house before, but it wasn't helpful. You would be kind enough to explain the situation to me, wouldn't you?" Kurumis's smile was again gentle and innocent, but Laila knew how terrifying the person in front of her could be.

'Wait, did she say us and summoned?' She peered cautiously down at the duvet. Like yesterday, the command spell shone full of power on her hand.

"Don't you feel like talking to me, dearest? You'd at least owe us an explanation." Kurumi's hand wandered delicately over the soft armchair, tapping her soft finger into the leather. She did not anticipate the girl would be that terrified.

"Us?" Laila asked as her eyes wandered around the room, searching for the other people who were holding her captive in her house. The security measures she'd trusted for years did not sound the alarm. The reason was the connection of a contract. But Laila was too upset to realize it. Her head snapped back when she heard a soft chuckle in the room.

"You don't have to be afraid. How about you introduce yourselves too, my other selves?"

"...?"

Red fields formed on the ground, and figures with identical appearances slowly rose. Terror crept up Laila's face as the blood in her veins froze. Countless copies stood around the couch she sat on. Their gaze was directed at Laila icily. But they felt so natural to Laila as if every person in front of her was breathing. While the red eyes glowed, the golden clocks slowly ticked away as if their time was running out.

The pointed mouth sat under the Crazy Woman's eyes while devilish giggles ran down her body like sweat. Laila would not get out of here alive. She was sure of that now, as arms closed around her neck and she felt a sweat breath behind her.

"That expression doesn't suit you, my beauty. You should try to relax more."

"You're scaring her, my other self. Can't you see how she's on the verge of a breakdown?"

"Isn't the terror in her eyes delightful?" the first clone said, blushing slightly.

The pale fingers slipped from Laila's shoulder, and the breath behind her disappeared. Laila didn't even realize how tense her collected body had been. But the woman in front of her seemed to have noticed.

"You should get back to work. There is still a lot of information to go through."

Teeth chattering, Laila watched as everyone sank back into the floor. She was at her wits' end. Even the fan in such proximity seemed out of her reach now. She knew hands could come out of nowhere and drag her into the depths of hell.

"So," Kurumi began again. A hand on her chin, "Where were we? Oh, yes, what exactly was the ritual you performed yesterday? It was an enchanting light show. But I would like to know how and why you brought me here, my dearest."

Laila's empty gaze wandered to her right hand on which the command spell still rested. Could she use them before the revolver shot her down? she asked herself. Laila was not even sure if it would affect the clones. She did not even know that they were there before they showed themselves.

"It might get a little awkward if you don't want to talk voluntarily." Kurumi continued and tilted her head cutely. She was patient, but by now she felt unsure how to get Laila to talk. She did not want to cause pain to the innocent girl, who was on the verge of a breakdown. Otherwise, it would drive the situation and trust, which already seemed paper thin even less.

"I, um, don't know exactly." Laila stuttered while fighting her tears. Her fingers were as wet as a river, and she almost pulled the blanket in front of her face. 'What am I supposed to say anyway?' She had no idea what had happened yesterday. A mist covered everything that happened after sleep. Should she be happy to participate in the holy war? But even if she got the chance to determine her own fate, her thoughts could not focus on anything but survival.

"Then let's start slowly. What is the magic circle doing outside?" Kurumi asked, pointing her flintlock at the window. But only a part of the runic construct could be seen.

The circle on the outside was, of course, part of the "Heaven's Feel" ritual, which was founded 200 years ago in Fuyuki. Seven masters are endowed with the necessary prana to enable the invocation of a heroic spirit. The circle in the garden was one such summoning circle. However, it was not an ordinary circle used in the normal summons.

So, as Laila looked at it, the person in front of her had to be a heroic spirit who should currently aid her as familiar in battle. Even if Kurumi doesn't behave that way. In the end, one would be victorious, and the remaining masters would sleep in their graves, an idea she did not like.

Kurumi was not pleased with the turn of events. Again, someone would take advantage of her. However, she could see in Laila's eyes that there was more to the war ritual.

"Oh, and I suppose you are a participant?"

Laila just nodded, her eyes still wet from the tears of fear.

"That means you summoned me to get the Holy Grail for you?" With each word, her voice grew colder, sharper, and slower. It was a soft voice that seemed to come from the devil's mouth. As a mage, Laila was trained to disguise her emotions. It was something she never liked because she didn't feel like herself. But her thoughts were in too much turmoil to be in complete control of her mind, and she slowly wandered under the covers to escape the eyes that stared mercilessly down at her.

"I didn't want to participate," sobbed Laila, who could no longer hold back her tears. For the first time in her life, she was afraid to die. "I wanted to hide in my house and wait until the war was over, but something forced me to participate in my sleep, and I have no idea who or what did it. Please don't hurt me. I don't know what to do. I'll do anything you want, but please don't kill me." Her voice grew quieter and quieter until it was finally smothered in the fabric of the blanket. Through her wet eyes, she could only vaguely make out the figure.

A gentle hand stroked her hair. It was as soft and warm as a mother's hand. She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked shyly over the blanket. Fear still bubbled inside her, but she knew she was safe for now.

But it was a fact. Now that a Servantan was summoned, she was forced to participate in the war. To survive, plans and precautions had to be made. The woman in front of Laila had also made a decision. The Grail was something she desired. She wanted that wish to change something. If it were impossible to make a wish for your world, Kurumi would take the energy and rewrite your world's past herself.

"If I understand you correctly, my dearest, there are six other masters besides us who are now after our lives, right?"

Laila nodded.

"And the Grail can grant any wish? No matter how big it is?" Kurumi asked with the biggest and most joyful smile Laila had ever seen.

"I think so, but not much is known about the Grail. At least I don't know more," she said, her head hanging slightly disappointed.

Kurumi abruptly rose from her armchair. The dress swung with her movements. Shadows materialized around her.

"Other me, plan change. Examine the surroundings in the smallest detail. Find the eyes responsible and bring them here. Keep an eye on the house and let me know as soon as anything behaves unnaturally. However, you must not be seen!"

The Clones, who briefly poked their heads out of the hallway, disappeared back into the floor, and dead silence returned to the room. Laila was a bit puzzled by this arrangement; after all, the Grail War took place in Japan.

"I, I don't quite understand." she stuttered.

Kurumi spun around and looked down for a moment.

"Please?"

"The war is taking place in Japan. All the masters should go there as soon as possible."

"Do you really believe someone would put in that much effort to force you to summon only to vanish? However, we are getting off-topic. You should prepare to travel to Japan. The sooner we get there, the more opportunities we have to fight back."

Laila could only nod, but there was still one question on her mind. "Would you at least tell me who you are?"

"How clumsy of me. Haven't I introduced myself yet? My name is Kurumi. Kurumi Tokisaki."

On the dark roof at night, Kurumi waited for her clones to rush back. Laila was lying in bed. It had taken a while for them to stow everything for the trip. The small one was still afraid of her, though understandably. Not only was Laila involved in a war in which she didn't even want to participate, but Kurumi held a gun to Laila's forehead in their first encounter.

'The way Laila tried to hide under the blanket from me was just adorable.' Sadly for her, she could not dwell in her thoughts any longer.

"And what have you discovered, other me's?" she icy.

More and more clones manifested in front of her. They all wore the same red and black dress. And they all looked healthy. If they found nothing, it could only mean that the suspect had retreated, even though Kurumi found that hard to believe. After all, who would waste so much time, resources, and energy only to leave? One thing that confused Kurumi was the timing. When she believed Laila, the sign on her hand appeared a day and a half ago. A period of time that would be too short to find a bearer and plan a ritual unnoticed. She had questioned Laila thoroughly and was sure that she was clueless.

One of the clones stepped forward. On its arm was a white creature. It looked like a spider, but it was much too big to be one. Kurumi raised an eyebrow, unsure what to make of the thing. The spider, which only a few hours ago was as small as the head of a needle, grew up during the ritual. The stench of the alien prana seeped out of the exoskeleton.

"It spun its webs west in the woods, keeping its gaze fixed on the estate. Around its body, it had tied a thread that went into a pocket dimension.

"Oh?" replied Kurumi with a finger to her lips and a smile. "Some spy ability? How interesting. What happened to the thread?" Her eyes shined curiously in the moonlight.

"With the creature's death, the pocket dimension collapsed. We can no longer influence it. The thread has also collapsed like it was made from space itself.

"Very good," she said with satisfaction. Still, a dark aura enveloped her. "How much information could it get about us ?" she asked slowly and deliberately.

"I was able to take it out unnoticed. Whoever is watching us won't know anything. I suspect the spider was nothing more than a familiar. It could disguise itself well but can't sense the aura of other creatures."

"Like a camera, then?"

With the report finished, the clone walked back to the ranks of the other clones. Kurumi looked up at the sky. Her old home had different star constellations. She was in a different world. And she was not naturally summoned. She was unsure what would happen to her at the end of the war when she was no longer needed.

Kurumi sat down and supported her head with her hands. She had some theories, of course, but it wasn't certain what would happen in the end. Her goal was to change the time in her world, and the wish came at the right time. The massive amount of energy could help Kurumi. However, there was a good chance she would win the war and cease to exist, even though she didn't find the idea particularly pleasant.

With an ice-cold stare, she examined her clones again. They didn't seem to be anchored to Laila like she was and could probably bypass the command spells as well.

"Continue to watch the house. Never let two of you be seen, and keep me informed of any potential threats."

She needed to recover first. They had all received a significant amount of energy. Laila had to take a break right away since she had turned pale. Having Laila provide energy was quite useful. She was no longer required to squander time-consuming other people's life energy. She would have unlimited energy as long as she worked with Laila.

One thing tickled her fingertips—how would a Servant react to the twelve bullets? She had to use extreme caution as long as she didn't know. She had no idea how powerful her opponents were after all. This world had different rules. Rules she had to learn first.

They would travel to Japan tomorrow. And Kurumi already had a plan for how Laila could get into the country unharmed and maybe even unnoticed.