Corrupted Dreams

The City of Fire

I was summoned into a city named Fuyuki, placed in the year 2004. Taking the role of a caster, it shouldn't have come as a shock that I never had my spear, but hey, a man could dream. Still, my constant reality never put a stop to the longing of my soul. Missing my spear was a fool's errand, and I was that fool, though being parted from my weapon didn't mean I couldn't enjoy a good fight. So, as the Grail War commenced, that's exactly what I went searching for.

In the night, the city had a dim light to it from the mechanics of its inhabitants. It was always best to avoid the populace, so I navigated myself to a place a little darker, and a little quieter. Taking perch on what appeared to be a school building, I looked over my surroundings. At the prickle on my neck, I flipped my head around just in time to see another servant come bounding onto the roof with me. A grimace fitted itself onto my face which seemed to be my accustomed greeting for the silver-eyed archer.

"Ah, Emiya, why should I be surprised?" My staff materialized in my hand.

"Don't sound too happy to see me, Cu," His tone was ornamented in sarcasm, a lazy smirk. "Even if you did miss me."

"Miss you? Oh, yes, I simply couldn't live without the oral flogging of your annoying voice on my ears!" My comment made Emiya's sly smile widen just a tad. I narrowed my eyebrows. "What?"

"Seems I've made an impression on you."

"Yes, a horrid one at that."

"Still," he shrugged, "An impression is an impression."

"Alright," I repositioned my staff more assertively. "Let's cut the chit chat, I'm ready to kick your ass." With the flick off my fingers, fire combusted from a freshly drawn rune. Emiya jumped back, dodging the flame.

"Now, don't get too cocky."

I smiled as he backed into just the right position. "Why? I don't have much to be worried about when facing an imbecile like you." I activated the rune I'd been standing over, in turn, bringing to life my trap. "Honestly, did you think I wouldn't fortify the roof before stationing here?" The trailing runes of my trap reached him before my sentence was even finished.

Emiya's eyes lit up in shock as thick branches burst from the ground around him, curling around his limbs. Swords drawn, he was able to cut through some of the growing wood before it could fully capture him, making his escape easier. I drew my rune, sending a bolt of fire towards him. Emiya managed to break away without getting burned by the skin of his teeth. Bolting around the now still tree of wounding roots, he charged at me, swords ready.

I spun my staff, blocking and attacking with it as if it were a blade itself. We entered into a close-up quarrel full of blows and parries, rebelling from the typical fight of our classes. As things progressed, I fell more into the defensive, and that managed to deepen the smug look on the archer's face. "What? You're old mage bones can't keep up with me? Where's your fire?"

My lips pulled into a sneer. "You want fire? Well, here you go!" Seeing my opening, I flicked runes onto the head of my spear and drove it into Emiya's chest. The runes didn't produce free flames, but a compacted burst of firepower that propelled Emiya backward. He flew into the metal fence that outlined the roof, the force taring several of the poles from their cemented posts. The metal weaving was split down the middle either end hanging over the edge of the building, a massive hole now open. Emiya dangled from one of these ends, pulling himself back onto the roof, chest heaving as he tried to catch the breath I'd stripped from him.

"Hmph, that good enough for ya?"

That smile was now gone from Emiya's lips, and without responding, he leaped forward like a leopard, his swords drawn like claws wanting to bite into me. I'd impaled him backward and now he was returning the favor, crashing into me as I pulled my staff between us to save me from his swords' sharp edges just in time. If there was a wall behind me, I would have been driven into it, my freedom of space cut off by Emiya's body. But no, the door to the roof was behind me at that moment, the metal bolt not strong enough to hold the impact of Emiya and me, therefore snapping under the pressure.