Genre: Comedy
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*"You're my best friend! Decided!"*
Jīku woke up on a cold stone floor with no name, no memories, and a number branded on his neck. A homunculus—a disposable mana source created for the Great Holy Grail War. He was supposed to be nothing more than a tool.
Then a pink-haired Rider with more enthusiasm than sense burst into his life and declared them best friends. Just like that. No reason. No logic. Just... because.
Now Jīku finds himself swept into the chaotic daily life o
The Daily Life Before the Great Holy Grail War - Dragon Command Spells, Broken Ribs, and the Things I Still Want to Protect
"Stop it!"
Jīku's scream was swallowed by the roar of the burning corridor.
Sparks rained from the ceiling. Walls crumbled, beams shrieked in agony. Trifas Castle was being devoured by crimson flame.
Jīku lay pinned beneath the rubble, unable to move a single finger. His left arm was broken, his stomach split with searing pain. Every breath drove his shattered ribs deeper into his flesh.
"Gufufu..."
A shadow rose before him.
Dānikku Prestone Yugudomirenia, now a vampire. The man who had once commanded the Black Faction was nothing more than a blood-crazed beast. Saliva dripped from his lips, and his claws had grown long and black.
"Blood... young blood... what a fine scent."
Jīku gritted his teeth.
(Move. Move, body.)
It wouldn't move.
The rubble was too heavy. His body was cold. He couldn't feel his fingertips anymore.
"Jīku!"
From somewhere far away, he heard Jannu's voice.
Beyond the flames, golden hair swayed. Her white vestments were stained with soot as she ran desperately toward him, clutching her holy flag for support.
"Dānikku! Get away from him!"
Jannu shouted.
Dānikku slowly turned his head.
"...Ruler."
"By the rules of the Great Holy Grail War, I will stop your rampage. No more sacrifices—"
"Shut up."
Dānikku's claws tore through the air.
Jannu raised her holy flag to block, but the impact sent her flying backward.
"Jannu-san!"
"Silence, doll."
Dānikku's crimson eyes looked down at Jīku.
"Why is a disposable homunculus like you here? Why are you still alive?"
Jīku didn't answer.
No—he couldn't answer.
"You are a tool. Nothing more than fuel for the Great Holy Grail War. A tool that has served its purpose can only be destroyed."
Dānikku raised his claws.
—And then.
"Jīku!"
Asutorufo, dragging his body along the wall where he'd been slammed, screamed.
"Run! Jīku! Run!"
"...I can't run, Asutorufo."
Jīku spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Because I... decided I won't run."
Dānikku sneered.
"Is that so. Then die here."
The claws came down.
—CLANG!!
Sparks scattered.
"...What?"
A silver sword had cut in front of Jīku.
"Guh... ugh..."
The Black Saber, Jīkufurīto.
Silver hair swaying in the hot wind of the flames, the hero caught Dānikku's claws with his gravely wounded body.
"Saber... san..."
"Jīku. You must not die yet."
Jīkufurīto smiled through his blood.
"You have a reason to live. Don't you?"
"...But I—"
"That's enough. You just need to follow the path you believe in—"
—Shhk.
Dānikku's other claw pierced through Jīkufurīto's chest.
"Saber-san!!"
"Gah... hah..."
Jīkufurīto's body collapsed.
"You're in the way, hero. You're just a familiar too, in the end."
Dānikku pulled his claws free.
Blood sprayed into the flames.
"Stop... stop it!"
Jīku screamed.
"Don't hurt anyone else!"
"Scream and cry. That's your last job."
Dānikku's foot kicked up into Jīku's stomach.
—Crack.
The sound of broken ribs breaking further.
"GAAAAAH!!"
Jīku's body flew through the air along with the rubble.
"Fragile. So fragile. How did something like you survive this long?"
Dānikku approached slowly.
Jīku, blood streaming from his mouth, still kept his eyes open.
(It hurts.)
(It's hard to breathe.)
(But—)
Jīku looked through the gaps in the rubble at the fallen Jīkufurīto.
At Asutorufo, slammed against the wall and motionless.
At Jannu, trying to rise with her holy flag as support.
—And then.
"Kauresu! Kauresu!"
From the far end of the corridor, Fiore's scream rang out.
Her wheelchair had toppled, and Fiore was thrown onto the floor.
"Sister!"
Kauresu ran to her and lifted Fiore into his arms.
"Are you all right, Sister?! Are you hurt?!"
"F-Forgot about me—that, look at that...!"
Where Fiore pointed, flames were closing in.
"Sister, hold on to me. I'll carry you."
"But you have to escape too—"
"If it means leaving you behind, I'd rather burn to death right here."
Kauresu hoisted Fiore onto his back.
"Hold on tight. Don't you dare let go."
"...Kauresu."
Tears welled in Fiore's eyes.
"Thank you. ...Thank you, Kauresu."
Kauresu didn't answer—he just ran into the flames.
Jīku watched the scene from beneath the rubble.
(Kauresu-san...)
(He's protecting Fiore-san.)
(I want to—)
Something hot welled up in Jīku's heart.
(I want to protect, too.)
(I want to protect them.)
"What are you looking at? You'll be dead soon enough."
Dānikku stood before Jīku.
"Any last words? I'll hear them."
Jīku exhaled a breath mixed with blood.
"...Yes."
"Speak."
"I... will not lose to you."
Dānikku sneered.
"Hilarious. In this situation, you can still say that?"
"I won't give up. I won't let you take what I want to protect."
Jīku's voice wasn't trembling.
"Then regret it after you're dead."
Dānikku's claws closed in on Jīku's throat.
—In that instant.
Jīku's left hand glowed.
"...What?"
Red light.
Blazing patterns.
On the back of his left hand, pinned beneath the rubble, Command Seals had surfaced.
"This is..."
Even Jīku himself didn't understand what was happening.
He only knew his left hand was hot.
Burning hot.
"Command Seals...? No, this is..."
Dānikku took a step back.
"What did you do?! You're just a homunculus!"
Beneath the rubble, Jīku clenched his left hand.
Power surged through him.
(This is my—)
(Proof that I haven't given up yet.)
—Far away, at the Red Faction's encampment.
Shirou Kotomine gazed quietly at the flames consuming Trifas Castle.
"...So it begins."
Behind him, the Red Caster, Shakespeare, his eyes sparkling.
"Ah, how magnificent! A castle engulfed in flame! Screams! Blood! This is tragedy! This is drama!"
"You never change."
"But of course! For the sake of a story, I would rejoice even if this world burned to ash!"
Shirou smiled.
"Ruler has been caught up in that chaos. This is our opportunity."
"Oh? That holy maiden?"
"The arbiter took sides with one faction and escalated the chaos. If I report it that way, I can question her qualifications as Ruler."
"Ah, how cold-blooded! How cunning! You truly are the finest villain!"
"I am no villain. I am simply doing what is necessary to save humanity."
Shirou's eyes reflected the flames, cold as ice.
—Trifas Castle.
Jīku's left hand burned red.
"W-What is that power...!"
For the first time, Dānikku showed fear.
Jīku tried to push the rubble aside.
His body still wouldn't move.
But his left hand—that moved, without question.
"I will defeat you."
Jīku looked up at Dānikku.
"I will defeat you. I will protect what I want to protect."
"Silence! Silence, silence, silence!"
Dānikku screamed.
"You're a tool! A disposable homunculus! What can you do?! There's nothing you can protect!"
"There is."
Jīku's voice was quiet.
"I have something I want to protect. It was born right here, without a doubt."
The patterns on Jīku's left hand shone even brighter.
"Stop... stop...!"
Dānikku backed away.
From within the rubble, Jīku thrust out his left hand.
"I'll protect them. All of us—"
—And then.
BOOM!!
The ceiling caved in.
"Gah!?"
A blazing beam crashed down on top of Dānikku.
"Jīku!"
Jannu ran to Jīku's side.
"Jīku, stay with me! I'll get you out!"
Jannu's hands worked to clear the rubble.
"...Jannu... san..."
"Don't talk! I'm getting you out! I will save you, no matter what!"
Jannu's tears fell onto Jīku's cheek.
"...Thank you."
Jīku tried to smile.
He couldn't manage it.
But his heart was warm.
"Jīku! Jīku!"
Asutorufo crawled closer too.
"I'll help too! I'm going to save Jīku no matter what!"
Asutorufo's small hands grabbed at the rubble.
"I won't let my best friend die!"
Jannu and Asutorufo desperately cleared the debris.
Jīku watched them through a haze.
(I'm not alone.)
(I have comrades.)
(What I want to protect is right here, without a doubt.)
The patterns on Jīku's left hand continued to shine—quietly, but surely.
—The castle kept burning.
But within those flames, there was a certain light.
As consciousness slipped away, Jīku kept his eyes fixed firmly on it.
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