Chapter Five: The Summoning of the Heroic Spirit

Page (1/3)

My name is Alaya.
I drew an SSR card.
69983:32:01
Because the infection source I released was controlled by the bug lord, the original plan failed. I had to consult this stupid system about the detailed settings of the game.

In simple terms, this is a game where doomsday elements continuously grow stronger until they eventually destroy a preset world. At the same time, the world fights back in various ways. Victory is achieved by successfully destroying the world, while failure occurs if all doomsday elements are eradicated.

For example, the PAX-200 I encountered earlier is a plague-type doomsday element. Infecting and killing all humans on Earth means victory. The correct approach is to spread quickly without alerting the health authorities. If discovered prematurely, an antidote will be developed, accelerating the process depending on the severity and spread. Once the antidote is completed, all patients worldwide are instantly cured, resulting in game failure.

Ha, I must thank this somewhat unscientific setting. That "player" who suddenly evolved all the fatal symptoms in anger probably didn’t kill many people.

Though separated by dimensions from the culprit, the accomplice is right in front of me. I casually punched the red cube floating nearby.

“This wasn’t designed by me... boohoo...” it pretended to cry as soon as I hit it.

Plague-type doomsday elements primarily enhance their transmission methods, symptoms, and special abilities. Other types—such as monsters, tectonic movements, or aliens—have different tech trees, enemies, and victory or defeat conditions.

For instance, "Resident Evil" is a traditional plague-type doomsday element, "2012" is tectonic movement, and "War of the Worlds" is alien invasion. Their respective enemies are BSAA, the Ark Construction Project, and... native Earth pathogens.

“Hmph, I understand the basic setup, but how come this doomsday element was controlled from the start? A plot twist?” I stared coldly at the red cube. “Or were you just incompetent and placed it in the wrong location?”

“Well... the default drop location is statistically the easiest to develop...” the system swayed left and right, as if shaking its head. “I don’t know how this happened...”

“Oh, still incompetent.” “Boohoo...”

Come to think of it, I do know what’s going on. Although the Mana Floating Dragon looks cute, it’s classified as a parasite, so the Matou family’s lot beneath is the best infection target.

“Can we restart?” I had no desire to know what happened to the infection source under the bug lord’s control. Even if it accidentally controlled that warehouse of bugs... better not.

“No, restarting means creating a new world, which I can’t do.”

“Then what do you suggest we do now?” I slammed the globe to question the stupid system. Oh, the banging sound was because I couldn’t directly touch the mini globe; an invisible barrier blocked it.

“I... don’t know... boohoo...”

I sighed, no longer wanting to mock its stupidity.

[Tip: If the environment is unfavorable for transmission, you can choose to enter the "Patient Zero" first-person perspective to accelerate the spread. The first infected in each world is the "Patient Zero."] a female voice announced.

So that’s why I can awaken self-awareness? The previous player probably thought the spread was fast enough and didn’t use this feature.

If that’s the case, if I choose to enter first-person perspective now... Bug lord? No, no.

“Hahaha, Alaya, you still say I’m stupid~” The stupid system suddenly sounded proud, and the red cube even started glowing. “You are also ‘Patient Zero’!”

Oh... Watson, you’ve found the blind spot.

69980:32:01

I passed the Japanese N1 exam, equivalent to the highest English proficiency level. For someone with no foundation, it’s practically genius.

Well, actually, the prompt-sister gave me subtitles and simultaneous translation.

After all, the system brat is so incompetent it doesn’t even have barrier-free communication features. I can understand a bit of Japanese but can barely speak it; the most standard pronunciation I’ve made so far is “Your Name.”

“Although I’m a game system, I’m fully functional!” Gaia defended itself. “If I collect enough doomsday elements, I can do things straight out of system novel stories!”

“Proud to be omnipotent in a world you created? Why don’t you take me to another dimension to deal with that previous ‘player’?”

“As long as I collect enough, I can do it!”

“How many kinds?”

Page (2/3)

“...Twenty thousand.”

“Really incompetent.”

“Boohoo...”

I wasn’t bored enough to argue with the system, but the prompt-sister was preparing the "spiritual basis" to let me descend into the world. After all, as the de facto Alaya, I couldn’t just jump in directly.

Why call her sister? Because compared to the incompetent stupid system, she was incredibly reliable.

[Tip: Spiritual basis construction 75% complete.]

See? Much more impressive than that guy who only goes “boohoo.”

Meanwhile, the Matou’s Dirty Ink had been researching and modifying my Mana Floating Dragon, adding symptoms like [Life Drain] and [Nerve Control].

Although I could already see the live scene, I decided not to look for my own sake.

After all, Sakura hadn’t been born yet, and the bug lord didn’t have the power to completely erase the original creation. Let it be a shadow for now.

Ah, speaking of Sakura, from my wide reading experience, no matter how protagonists come to the Fourth Holy Grail War—whether to contract with Shining Flash or snatch Kiritsugu’s wife—they always end up saving Sakura.

It’s like going to Harry Potter; whether needed or not, you’ll definitely make some noise at Ollivander’s Wand Shop.

“At this point in time, maybe helping Uncle Kariya snatch Tokiomi Tohsaka’s wife might work...” I stroked my chin thoughtfully.

[Tip: Matou Kariya ran away from home one year ago.]

“So... he hasn’t even been born yet? Are there other foreign Masters too?”

[Tip: When natives of this world go out, they enter an ‘expanded world’ that cannot be interfered with, including but not limited to the Throne of Heroes, Clock Tower, Einzbern Castle, etc.]

“Hm...” I originally thought entering so early might let me set some traps, but if it’s limited to Fuyuki, there’s really not much to do.

“So, the current participants are only Tokiomi Tohsaka?” I asked.

[Tip: There are two participants—Tokiomi Tohsaka and Ryunosuke Uryu.]

So it’s that true-love guy? Although the original mentioned he killed forty-two people before summoning Commander C and was on the run, I thought he was from out of town.

“Hehe, Alaya, you didn’t read carefully. The text says he’s originally from Fuyuki but killed his own sister—woah!”

“What did you say—!” I was startled awake by my own terrifying voice, only to realize I’d slapped the system from the air to the ground.

“Boohoo... it’s true...”

[Tip: The text describes Ryunosuke Uryu meeting his sister in the basement and thinking ‘she hasn’t changed in five years.’]

“Sorry, I overreacted...” I released my grip, and the system wobbled and flew away.

Yeah, this must be like those cat lovers who get furious and call the police when they see animal cruelty videos online. After all, I consider myself a good big sister.

“Um, I forgive you...” The system floated back at some point. “He is indeed in Fuyuki. Should we figure out a way to deal with him?”

“No, that’s not him.” I slowly shook my head and gathered my thoughts.

In the original story, Ryunosuke did unforgivable things and was ultimately shot in the head by Kiritsugu Emiya, but in the world I just created, he hadn’t done anything yet. If I let it play out, he might become that way, but then wouldn’t the fault be mine?

Those villains who are killed off immediately after rebirth without doing anything, or protagonists who guide them to act “as originally,” have they ever considered their own logic?

Hmm... but it seems popular now to have a happy ending with your nemesis after rebirth?

“Anyway, before everything starts, I still have a chance to bring him back.” I concluded.

“Oh, so this is the legendary saintly compassion?”

Page (3/3)

“Yeah, yeah! I’m the saint!” I jumped up and grabbed the red cube that hadn’t escaped, squeezing it hard. “I plan to make it so no one dies in this Holy Grail War. Got a problem with that!?”

“No, no, no problem—but how will you bring him back?”

“Hmph, didn’t he find a book about demons in the basement? Let’s have him find a different one earlier.” I thought for a moment and quickly had an idea. “Here, you make a book like this and drop it into his basement, then...”

69954:32:00

The massive globe in Fuyuki’s red dot gleamed, projecting a real-time image on a translucent screen suspended in midair. The screen showed an old basement where a young man with orange-dyed hair was performing a strange ritual.

“Fill it, fill it, fill it, fill it. Repeat four times—hey, five? Oh well, I just missed one once. It’ll be poured out later anyway.”

“I declare, I am your... what is this? Responding to the Holy Grail’s summons, if you agree, respond... hmm, I don’t recognize the last words.”

“Come forth! Guardian of Libra!”

Hey, Tōki, someone’s calling you.

The orange-haired youth solemnly poured four cups of red wine onto a circle he’d drawn on the floor, then raised his hands high as if to summon something.

So... dumb...

He forgot he’s not just a killer but a fool.

Yet I have to be summoned by this silly incantation, like calling a spirit board, and then try to pull him back from his murderous path...

Come to think of it, wouldn’t it be simpler to just kill him outright?

No, no, the saint must have principles, Alaya.

Pah, I’m not a saint, nor am I called Alaya.

Though the Holy Grail War hasn’t started yet, summoning heroic spirits isn’t exclusive to it. Or rather, these heroic spirits exist because of the will called “Alaya.”

“Ah, no, I better go find sister. She’ll definitely like this thing.”

Ryunosuke Uryu closed the old magic book and began packing up to leave the basement.

“My turn, draw a card!” I threw the white card I’d used to create the Mana Floating Dragon into the air.

The screen hovered nearby, rotating continuously. With swishing sounds, white feathers, golden lightning, and colorful halos appeared, swirling around it.

Finally, a thick pillar of light descended from the sky, enveloping it completely. The card’s rotation slowed, and I thought I saw it glow golden.

Hey, hey, is an SSR coming out?

“I thought I could write my own card?!” Before seeing the card face, I felt my mind drifting and shouted.

[Tip: The most compatible heroic spirit has been automatically summoned. You can replace it later if unsatisfied.]

“Good luck, Alaya.”

The final video image showed a sudden whirlwind in the cellar making the blond youth turn around in surprise. The red wine spilled on the floor flowed by itself, forming a strange pattern before quickly evaporating. The remaining water shimmered with dazzling golden light.

In a flash, the excited, surprised, and curiously foolish-looking blond youth appeared before me.

...Anyway, let me say that famous line first.