章節 124: Chapter 124: Advance, Classic of Mountains and Seas
While Darnic and the others prepared to summon their Servants ahead of schedule, Kotomine Shirou also began to move.
His thoughts mirrored Darnic's.
With the unpredictable nature of the Q&A group hanging over their heads, it was better to act quickly.
He harbored a slight worry that Sisigou might reveal his ulterior motives.
But that concern was unnecessary.
Not only did Sisigou have no intention of exposing him, even if he did, the Clock Tower wouldn't immediately believe it.
As for the Holy Grail War itself, Sisigou had no plans to run away. Instead, he simply waited for Rocco's instructions.
He had his own reasons for staying.
---
The Sisigou family was originally a European mage family. However, several generations ago, the family began to decline. Left with no choice, they migrated from Europe to Japan and adopted the name Sisigou to adapt to their new surroundings.
To restore their former glory, the head of the Sisigou family at the time struck a deal with a mysterious entity.
This deal brought a miraculous resurgence to the family, elevating their power beyond even their peak years.
But miracles always come with a price.
Over time, the family's knowledge of magecraft was slowly lost. Forced to adapt, they shifted their focus to necromancy, a field in which they achieved considerable success.
However, the cost of the deal began to manifest over the generations.
That cost culminated in Sisigou Kairi.
---
The family believed Kairi was cursed.
Several of his children died inexplicably at birth. His wife, unable to bear the grief, left him.
To ensure the family's survival, Kairi's used his connections to adopt a girl from a distant relative as Kairi's foster daughter.
But when the adopted daughter inherited the family's magic crest, she died suddenly—just like Kairi's other children.
An autopsy revealed that Kairi's magic crest had transformed into a lethal toxin.
Any attempt to transplant it into another body would immediately result in death.
The curse was clear: Kairi was destined to be the end of the Sisigou family.
Knowing this, Kairi begged his father to let the family line end and gave up on carrying their legacy forward.
---
From that moment on, Sisigou abandoned his family responsibilities.
He left home and became a bounty hunter, embracing a reckless, death-defying lifestyle.
He told himself he was free from the burdens that had bound him all his life.
But deep down, he never forgot his foster daughter and the guilt he carried for her death.
When Sisigou heard about the Holy Grail, his dormant heart stirred once more.
If he could obtain the Holy Grail, perhaps he could lift the curse and undo the Sisigou family's fate.
Even if the odds were slim, the possibility was better than living without hope.
---
Of course, there was another incentive.
The bottle of Hydra larvae Rocco had given him as a reward was still on his mind.
Watching Rocco's face twist in pain as he handed over the treasure had been an unexpected delight.
---
Suddenly his phone began to ring.
"Hello, this is Sisigou."
---
In Chihiro's Room
While the members of the Apocrypha timeline were busy preparing for the war, Chihiro sat alone, examining his latest rewards.
---
From the two golden treasure chests, he had obtained the following:
A "Phantasmal Summoning Card."
A "Yggdrasil Seed."
The summoning card was identical to the one used by Brynhildr to summon Pegasus, although this version had been obtained from a higher-quality treasure chest, greatly increasing its odds of summoning a powerful phantasmal species.
As for the Yggdrasil Seed, Chihiro was momentarily stunned.
In the Fate/Grand Order system, this was typically a material used to enhance Servant skills or ascension.
But in the real world?
Could it grow into an actual World Tree?
---
Before Chihiro could ponder further, a long white beak suddenly darted toward the seed in his hand.
Quickly pulling it away, Chihiro turned to see a peculiar bird with a single leg.
Its crane-like body was adorned with blue feathers covered in red spots, which shimmered like flames when it moved.
This was Bifang, a mythical bird from folklore.
Bifang, often associated with fire, was said to appear as an omen of calamity or to guide travelers through dangerous paths with its glowing feathers.
Chihiro gave the bird a firm nudge.
"This isn't food, Bifang."
---
Over the past year, Chihiro had experimented with materializing creatures from mythical texts using the First Magic. Using the Konjaku Monogatari and the Classic of Mountains and Seas as a framework, he had successfully brought several legendary beasts from folklore to life.
Bifang was one of the results of those experiments.
However, he had only managed to materialize weaker creatures. Monsters on higher levels required an astronomical amount of magical energy—far more than he could supply.
Bifang wasn't alone.
A chubby, green, four-legged bird and a small wild boar with two pairs of tusks scurried over.
The bird, which could mimic human speech, chirped eagerly.
"I want to eat it, I want to eat it!"
The boar stomped the ground, snorting.
These two creatures were Kudan and Kodama-inoshishi, both also inspired by Japanese folklore.
---
Kudan was notable for its strange body, long lifespan, and ability to speak human language. In legends, Kudan was a prophetic beast, foretelling major disasters or significant changes in the world.
Kodama-inoshishi, on the other hand, was a boar-like creature associated with prosperity and good harvests. Myths claimed it would appear during abundant years, dancing joyfully and calling its name.
---
"Enough, you three. This seed is not for you."
Chihiro quickly pocketed the World Tree Seed before activating the summoning card.
A golden magic circle spread across the floor as the summoning ritual began.
---
Moments later, light filled the room, revealing a black-and-white creature.
The rotund beast had the body of a panda, but its face resembled that of a tapir, complete with a short snout.
At first glance, Chihiro thought he'd summoned a Baku, the legendary dream-eating beast.
But upon receiving the system notification, he froze.
This thing wasn't a Baku but some kind of strange creature.
What a disaster!
It had actually stolen the mount of Taigong Wang, the future Grand Rider!
Oh no! Chihiro suddenly felt the word "danger" flash across his mind.
He could only hope that Taigong Wang wouldn't descend with a divine whip to deal with him.
---
In Yggdmillennia Castle
That night, the summoning ritual began.
"Wait," Gordes said, frowning. "Has anyone seen Sagara Hyouma?"
Hyouma was the final Black Master, yet he'd been absent all day.
"Now that you mention it," Fiore added, "he hasn't even joined the group chat."
"This group's rules are impossible to figure out," Roche muttered.
Darnic waved them off.
"Sagara informed me earlier that he went to Japan to perform his summoning. The Servant he's attempting to summon is… dangerous. However, I've already sent him the details, so he'll summon ahead of schedule like us."
With that, Darnic clapped his hands.
"All right. Let's begin."
---
Gordes, Fiore, Caules, and Celenike stepped forward, chanting their incantations.
One by one, their servants descended in bursts of light. Astolfo, Chiron, Siegfried, and Frankenstein successfully descended.
---
Astolfo appeared first, as lively as ever.
"My name is Astolfo, Rider class! Let's work together!"
Celenike's lips curled into a predatory smile.
"Of course, Rider," she purred, her expression unsettling Astolfo enough to take a step back.
---
Chiron knelt before Fiore.
"Servant Archer, Chiron. You appear injured, Master. May I inquire about your legs?"
Fiore blushed faintly.
"It's not an injury… My magic circuits have degraded, leaving me unable to walk."
Chiron nodded solemnly.
"I will do everything in my power to assist you. Please rely on me."
Fiore flushed further, quietly thanking him.
---
Finally, Siegfried stepped forward, his voice calm but resolute.
"Servant Saber, Siegfried. I have come in response to your summons."
***
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