Fate/Harem Antics

Chapter-3

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Chapter 3

Sakura Matou was standing in the basement of the Matou Manor.

She hated this room.

  It was everything about her family that made her miserable and couldn’t do anything about. 

“Hello grandfather,” she said with a slightly detached tone as her grandfather and adoptive brother both descended from the first floor.

“I suppose you’re wondering why I brought you down here tonight,” Zouken said with his usual, slightly demented, grin.

  “It’s not extra training if you’re worried about that.  In fact, you won’t be having any more training for the next week or two.”

Oh, so it was one of his false hope spots again.  These had gotten so blasé over the years. 

“I see.”

“No, today will be the day that your adoption in to the Matou family bears fruit.”  Sakura’s eyes widened slightly and darted over to Shinji.

  Surely he wouldn’t… 

“The Holy Grail War comes again, and as the magical heir of the Matou family, you will be summoning a servant tonight.”

“Wait, what?” both teenagers said at the same time.

Sakura immediately shut up, but Shinji wasn’t so smart.

 “You promised me that I would represent the Matou family!” her brother shouted. 

“Why is she summoning the servant?!”
Shinji finally shut up when Zouken turned his hollow, sunken eyes on his grandson. 

“You are just like your father,” Zouken spat Harshly and Continued.  “You lack any ability in magecraft what-so-ever.  Any attempt for you to perform the ritual would end in failure.”  Shinji looked like he was trying to work up the courage to complain more, but Zouken’s gaze kept him silent.

“However, you will be representing the Matou family in this war.  Sakura will perform the ritual then use one of her Command Seals to transfer ownership to you.”Shinji calmed down a bit with that. 

“Well alright then.  Let’s get this show on the road then, shall we?”
Zouken smiled again.

  That smile always made Sakura’s skin crawl.

 “Yes, let us begin.”  He gestured as a dozen worm familiars crawled from the shadows of the room and began to dissolve, their slime forming a perfect magic circle on the ground.

  “I have just the catalyst to function for Sakura, so there’s no reason to wait any longer.”  He drew out a book from somewhere in his robes, old and leather bound, with frayed edges and stained pages.

  “And here is the ritual.  All you must do is recite it and channel your mana.  The Holy Grail will do the rest.” Sakura took the book and the paper with shaking hands.

 She set the book down at the heart of the circle and began to channel her power. 

She winced as the worm familiars in her body twitched, reacting to the flow of mana, but ignored the familiar pain.

  “For the elements, silver and iron,” she began.

“For the foundation, stone and the archduke of contracts.  For the ancestor, my great master, Schweinorg.  Close the gates to the cardinal directions.  Come forth from the crown, and follow the forked road to the kingdom.”  The circle at her feet began to glow with violet light and she almost screamed as the worms withered and dug through her flesh, the mana flow going wild as it was drained into the ritual circle.