Fate/Phantom Tale

Phantom/Archer

Phantom Archer
Erica Manning was an Olympic track athlete. Her highest speed in the 200-meter dash was 18.7 seconds. Husain Bolt's record was 19.19. She was a star and would go down in history as one of the fastest runners in Olympics history.

But as of now, she was a part of something she could barely comprehend. Two days ago, found an odd book on her shelf. It looked worn down and older than anything she owned. I'm fact she had never seen it before in Herbalife. And just being around it made her anxious.

Erica decided to throw away the book. It already looked like it was a wind blow away from turning into dust so there was no reason to keep something that made her so uneasy around. However the next day, Erica woke up to find book on nightstand in the morning.

She threw it away again. And it returned. She even threw the book into a fire pit, and low and behold, it came back to her on the next day. Erica finally relented after third time she threw it into the fireplace and opened the book.

Surprisingly it didn't fall apart. But the writings made no sense. Magic, laylines, Heroic Spirits, it was something out of a child's fairytale. And yet something felt genuine. Despite the absurdity, it was true.

And now this woman is here. This Heroic Spirit.

Smoke drifted across the floor of her room. Looking down at Erica was a woman cladded in an ancient Chinese armor. She had her hair tied up into a bun. There was a fierce determination in her eyes. This must have been a Heroic Spirit. Erica took a step back from the woman.

"Are you my Master?" The Woman asked Erica. She couldn't answer that question. She could barely utter a sound.

"I'll ask you again. Are you my Master?" she repeated. As the Heroic Spirit took a step forward, Erica backed away, tripping on her own feet and falling onto the floor. She backed herself up. Maybe their was an exit around here? No it doesn't look like it.

"Wait wait wait!" Erica pleaded with the Heroic Spirit. She didn't stop.

"I'm going to die...I'm going to die." Erica muttered to herself "I'm not ready to-" The armored woman knelt down and faced Erica. Almost as if she was examining her. The blood drained from Erica's face. She had never been more terrified in her life.

"L-look I summoned you okay? I used the circle thingy and the book and you appeared!"

"Then the contract is complete." she said "and how did a human with no magical experience or potential to become a magus summon a Heroic Spirit?"

"I just followed the instructions in the book." Erica explained "that's all."

"So you found a book. Read it and decided to do what it said, thus summoning me. Sounds quite idiotic of you."

""Who...what are you? Are you even human?" The Heroic Spirit looked at her hands.

"I was nothing once. A series of tales to inspire soldiers and later on, girls to become their best selves. In short, I am an idol. Now I am something." She looked straight at Erica "I am Hua Mulan, Phantom Archer. And I pledge my services to you as your Servant in the Holy Grail War!"

"The Holy Grail what?" Erica asked "I don't want to be apart of a war!"

"Look at the back of your hand." Phantom Archer told Erica. She obliged and looked at her hand. On the back of it was a crimson tattoo. It looked like two blades with a line that separated them.

"What in the-What the hell is that?"

"Its your Command Seals. The bond between the two of us that ties me to this world." Phantom Archer explained to her "it allows me to keep my physical form by using your mana."