37 Omake: The Servant of God I

(A/N: If I'm being honest with you all, I have hardly anything written of the next chapter - hence why I've written this instead. Normal chapters take me longer to make sure it all makes sense, flows well, etc. as well as to get feedback from some proofreaders of mine, while with these, I can just run wild. I need to give you guys something after two weeks.

The premise of this omake is that Ioann is a Servant in the Fifth (the Shirou, Fate/Stay Night) Holy Grail War.)

A melodic harmony of decrees barreled through time and space, smashing right into my mind with all the subtlety of an earthquake. As was their purpose.

"Let silver and steel be the essence. Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation. Let my great Master Schweinorg be the ancestor."

The words flowed into my psyche, awakening my bleary conscience from the resplendent embrace of the Throne. The task of remaining cognizant in such a place was downright herculean, and I could not manage to do so in the end. However, it took but a moment to realize what was occurring.

I had no complaints about the opportunity afforded to me. I merely hoped for an optimal summoning.

"Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall. Let the four cardinal gates close. Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate. I hereby declare. Your body shall serve under me. My fate shall be your sword. Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail. If you will submit to this will and this reason… then answer!"

The choice was offered. The related details were imprinted. The time necessary to decide was given, grinding my strange facsimile of perception to a halt, and after a moment's deliberation, I accepted.

My nonexistent surroundings, merely an illusion created by my subconscious, instantly transformed from an abyss to a blinding luminosity, a luminescence similar to the scenery which shone upon my more-than-worthy self on my first time in the Reservoir.

"An oath shall be sworn here! I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven. I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell!"

How could I refuse this invitation? A grand War to claim the prize of Christ's Holy Chalice, the Grail? It is simply my duty to deny its hallowed gold and consecrated ornaments from heathendom's claws.

Only a Servant of God - namely, myself - deserved such a treasure.

"From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power, come forth from the ring of restraints, Protector of the Holy Balance!"

Though, I will admit that the potential to elevate my plane of existence was quite tantalizing.

Further godhood awaited.

…

Disgustingly, the first sight to greet me upon exiting the Throne of God was a dingy basement, one mostly lit by the ruby summoning circle beneath my feet. I left the Lord's embrace for this shabby sty?

I glanced around more intently, determining that the furniture was in relatively decent taste. Oak or mahogany, from what I could tell.

After taking about three seconds to recognize all of that by peering through the strange smoke surrounding me, assimilating the knowledge thrusted into my mind, I was informed by my Heroic Spirit instinct to utter a certain phrase to the girl in red before me.

I decided to put my own flair on the diction, making it more befitting of one of my stature.

"I ask of thee, art thou my Master?" I questioned, focusing more on the girl when the smoke began to clear - suspiciously, it only began to do so after I said the words.

It seems even an inanimate Holy Relic has a sense for the dramatic.

Her black hair was styled into two… pigtails? Ponytails? I'm no barber. Aqua blue eyes shimmered like gemstones, belying a sort of childish glee I could sense emanating from them. Her attire was moderately acceptable for one who would associate themselves with me, consisting of a red shirt with a silver cross on its bosom area - the only reason I had afforded her the courtesy of dignified speech - as well as a black skirt and stockings. Her features seemed somewhat Oriental.

"Yes. I am your Master - my name is Rin Tohsaka," she preened, trying to hold back her clear excitement while evidently proud of how the summoning had went. She began staring particularly intently at me, likely tuning into her Master Clairvoyance to gaze upon my parameters. "Now, let's see… WHAT?!" She coughed, trying to regain her dignity. "Excuse me, what class are you again?"

"I am an Archer, child," I rumbled, placing my hands behind my back.

She began massaging her temples, and I began walking around the chamber, opening cabinets and drawers along the way. "Of course I didn't summon a Saber… what went wrong?" she muttered, turning back to me. "Please tell me you have a Skill that hides the true nature of your attributes…?"

"No. But I have various ways of bypassing their weakness and raising their limits, if that assuages your obvious frustration. I'll tell you of them, should you prove your competence," I answered, holding up a glowing, pristine gem. I saw myself in the reflection - black hair, generically toned skin, blue eyes, and stout features. It seems this incarnation had adopted the stubble I used to have on my lower face. I could see the armor the Knights Templar gifted me from the jewel's sloping bottom, a thing laden with white robes over it to seem more presentable and less militant in casual circumstances. "You have no reason to complain at summoning a true paragon such as myself, but alas," I glanced at her, "you are but a middling Magician, seemingly unable to contain the effulgent, glorious strength of my Caster form. [1] In your shoes, I would accept that I've received a fairly multi-purpose, versatile and relatively strong Servant."

"It's 'Magus', not Magician," she scoffed, beginning to pace. "I don't do cheap tricks like Lupin-what's-his-face. And don't talk back to your Master like that!" she turned back to me, processing my words. "You're the familiar, remember it!"

"The only Master on this earth is the Lord. You are just a Mana battery, and I'd prefer you remember your place - frankly, I am being remarkably kind as it is, given your clearly impetuous and petulant proclivities." I walked past her and began going up the stairs, taking in the baroque, high-class furnishments of the estate. The Grail afforded me the knowledge that Magi households in this accursed universe are bearers of a long-standing wealth, enlightening me just as scripture has throughout my years.

I preferred my castle sub-dimension over this gaudy display, though. At least that place has a certain degree of shame and taste. This is simply ostentatious and foul.

"You…!" the girl growled, finishing climbing the stairs after me, before taking three deep breaths through her nose. "Let's start over. Shall we?" she asked, jumping in front of me and holding out her hand, obviously showcasing the Command Seals as an implied threat.

"I am Rin Tohsaka, your M-A-S-T-E-R," she enunciated. "And you, Archer? Your True Name?"

I gave her a sideways glance before batting down her arm with my longer limb. "You are clearly not of the faith. I shall win this war, but given your clearly choleric temper, neither shall I afford you respect until you prove otherwise. Is that cross emblem on your attire just for show?" I shook my head. "Know that I am a man of the cloth, and know it well. That is all you must know."

This girl was clearly a buffoon, judging by how, even now, her pale skin flushed red in indignation at my relatively tame comments. I could only extend so many olive branches and obvious displays of temperance before wrath began to surface, and she was beginning to toe that line.

I'd rather it not come to that, however. Cooperation would be more convenient, and judging by my knowledge of Magic Circuit standards imprinted into me by the Grail, she is on the higher end of Mana output, suited to handle my higher requirements.

The girl - Rin, I suppose - was something like a piece of furniture to me. Seeing as I could eviscerate her before she could even bring those Mana gems out of her pockets, there was no real reason to overstate her importance in my mind. It would be like donning a suit of armor and wielding a greatsword to crush a beetle. I'd rather have a neutral relationship with my Mana battery.

Worse comes to worst, all it takes is amputating her arm and using its Command Seals to forge a new covenant with a more agreeable Master. Independent Action should help me hold out long enough for that.

However, judging by how she was raising her hand, Command Seals glowing the same crimson as my summoning circle, she would not concede to an amicable relationship.

Before she could even utter a word, I dashed over and clamped my hand over her mouth. Hopefully, that tiny brain of hers wouldn't realize that she could think the Command in her mind. I began to speak slowly, as if to a child, "Wasting a Command Seal like that would be a terribly incompetent move for a Master, wouldn't it? Yes?" My other hand snaked around to grab her wrist - the one with the Command Seals.

She began to slowly nod.

I nodded along with her.

"And as an Archer with Independent Action, it wouldn't be hard for me to find a Master that isn't a pissant clodpate imbecilic enough to make such a decision, yes?"

She nodded slowly again, eyes widening.

"I would prefer not to stoop to such treachery, as a studious son of the Lord and righteous man myself, and it would be troublesome to find a different Master. However, if you leave me no choice…" I gripped her hand a little tighter.

"Surely, it wouldn't be hard for someone with Servant senses to find a nearby Magus household? Now, I will release you, and we will have mirthful interactions filled with understanding of our respective statuses in the future." I nodded.

She nodded.

I released my grip. "Last chance. Beware, as righteous indignation will descend next time. The only person to command me is the King of Glory, Immanuel," I nodded, turning around and beginning to scout out the large living room. Knowing my environment is key.

Rin sucked in a breath and spoke with hardly any tremor, likely crushing her former trepidation down, "...Tell me your True Name and I'll be willing to step down a peg, familiar," she spat out the last word, clearly not expecting her experience as a Master to sour so quickly.

"My first name is all you need to know: Ioann. Try not to blurt it out instead of 'Archer' when we are engaged in battle," I remarked, inspecting the fireplace. "Now," I turned back to her, "did you plan anything out in regards to our strategy to win this Holy Grail War, or do I need to coddle you strategically as well as mentally?"

The girl covered her face with her hands and groaned out a refutation, muttering about how on earth she was cursed with a familiar that believed her to be prescient and knowledgeable of her Servant's capabilities before she even summoned him.

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[1] Servant classes in Fate all embody a certain facet of a Heroic Spirit's powerset/mentality (like how Ioann here is more calm since he doesn't have his Berserker aspects, or how he doesn't have his Spellcraft since he's not a Caster). However, a lot of the time, they're also separated into different time periods of their life - like how Caster Cu Chulainn is more so from the time before his victory against Ulster, Archer Ioann is from early on in his life. The reference here implies how his Caster version is a version of himself from later in the fic, a version way more powerful. Not gonna spoil the specifics of that version in some random omake, though.

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In case you didn't bother to read the [1], to justify Ioann not just amputating Rin and finding a new Master after she showcased her childishness at not getting the Servant she wanted, here: 'Servant classes in Fate all embody a certain facet of a Heroic Spirit's powerset/mentality (like how Ioann here is more calm since he doesn't have his Berserker aspects…' He also acts more arrogant instead of just being an asshole like in the main fic because of the disparity in power between him and Rin (no point in acting humble) - and since he lacks the aggression of his Berserker aspects, he sees no point in being all barbed towards a bug. Not to mention that he knows the successes of his future self (even if he doesn't embody them), which increases his ego a bit.

I made this chapter more casual/bite-sized because omakes are basically one-shots, and I don't want to spend so much time detailing things. They're more a proof of concept. I think I'll continue on with this premise though, especially given the fun I had constructing MC's Servant profile (with the template based off of Fate/Zero Paradox's, a Fate/Zero fanfic on SpaceBattles). Speaking of which:

Archer-

Class: Archer

Master: Rin Tohsaka

True Name: Ioann Maksymovich Ivanov

Title(s): N/A

Sex: Male

Source: High School DxD

Region: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics/Christendom

Alignment: N̶e̶u̶t̶r̶a̶l̶/̶C̶h̶a̶o̶t̶i̶c̶ ̶E̶v̶i̶l̶ Lawful Good

Strength: D++

Endurance: C-

Agility: D++

Mana: C (A)

Luck: C

NP: B

Class Skills-

Magic Resistance: Grants protection against magical effects.

D: Archer had few means of nullifying Magic in his life, and that extends here, only having a D-ranked version of the Skill because of his class and experience. Magic on the level of High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals will overwhelm him.

Independent Action: The ability to remain independent even when rejecting the Magical Energy supply from one's Master; the ability that allows for action even in the absence of the Master.

C: Archer may have technically fought with allies much of the time, but never in a truly coordinated effort. In reality, he was always alone. His class and natural aversion to cooperation give him the ability to stay alive without a master for up to two days, assuming that he doesn't get engaged in intense battle.

Personal Skills-

Determination of Steel: A composite skill combining the effects of 'Valor' and 'Calm and Collected'. It is awarded to those who show an intense resolve to vanquish their foes. Allows one to ignore mental effects and fight at a superhuman level, being able both mentally and physically to keep up with high-speed action.

B: Archer always had unnaturally quick reflexes, reaction time, and mental fortitude in combat. Combined with his unfaltering resolution to win that crosses the line into withering contempt for his enemies, Archer can power through practically anything and fight a bit above his level mechanically - all to stand over his enemy's dead body.

Protection of the Faith: A skill possessed by martyrs and those of a remarkably loyal disposition to their religions. It embodies the absolute ensemble of mind and body with faith and grants a certain degree of 'divine' protection. However, at high levels, it distorts one's personality to very abnormal degrees.

A++: Archer is alarmingly fanatical, practically embodying the word 'zealot'. He abhors and detests practically everyone, an attitude under the guise of faith, and in tandem with his natural paranoia, to him, everyone is a heretic. Grants high defensive capabilities capable of withstanding attacks of C-rank and below without taking much damage.

Sanctifying Consecration: An ability that allows one to 'bless' things with divine energies, potentially able to make even mundane objects equal to Noble Phantasms.

C: Archer possesses this ability due to his Noble Phantasm, Heretical Crusader. With it, he can bring Noble Phantasms up by one rank and ordinary objects up to E-rank, the minimum to be called Servant-grade. However, the effect dissipates after a certain amount of time.

Noble Phantasms-

Heretical Crusader: "Celestial Wrath Upon Earth": B (Anti-Unit (Self)): A Noble Phantasm that allows the use of divine energies. Archer can use it to unleash attacks of pure energy similar to Excalibur on a much, much lower scale, to increase his attributes by one rank (it does the opposite for Endurance, as using this ability causes him to consume even more energy) or even two if he overcharges on energy, and to bless objects (see Sanctifying Consecration). It takes the form of white gloves gilded and embroidered with gold. This Noble Phantasm causes Archer's upkeep to be higher than most Servants (although it is partly offset by Independent Action), as this ability is technically always being used, though not always active. The energies it affords him bring his Mana rank up to A when it is active.

Tools of Brimstone: "Dispensers of Retribution": E+ — D+ (Anti-Unit): Archer mainly utilized firearms in the period of life his Archer summoning embodies, and thus his tools of the trade are available to him. At any given time, he can summon and use one weapon he made use of in the time his summoning embodies. With the exception of one D-rank weapon in his arsenal, they are at the minimum strength to be classified as Servant-grade weaponry. With Sanctifying Consecration/Heretical Crusader, however, he can increase the rank of the weapon by one rank, although the effect will dissipate either with time or if they are de-summoned.

Additional notes:

-Having a + after an attribute means that, temporarily, that attribute can be increased/doubled in power (for Ioann, this is because of his Noble Phantasm). Having ++ means it can be further increased/tripled, and so on, though the doubling/tripling classification only works in a rigid game scenario. Here, just take each plus as a sign that the rank can be temporarily increased by a significant degree. Considering how often Archer uses his NP, it means his stats are higher than they may appear.

-Other than Sanctifying Consecration, all of Ioann's Skills are canon.

-Protection of the Faith didn't have a directly stated effect on the wiki, but some mentions of Noah's possession of the ability and the name itself had me decide to make it a defensive thing.

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