15 Summoning [2]

With Atalanta and Percival summoned, the remaining group grew larger. Mars could feel that the Servants weren't currently drawing upon his mana, most likely due to being in Chaldea.

Right now, though, we find Mars in the kitchen cooking on a new stove decorated in rich gold color. The entire facility was decorated either gold or white with blue accents. It was Mars renovations, thanks to his itch for a new environment.

"So…Atalanta, what do you wish to eat?"

The Servant in question ears twitched, and her head peeked over the open door. She was as silent as a well-trained assassin. How could her Master sense her? Oh…it might be because he was Servant as well. Or perhaps his senses were just above average for a human?

Atalanta coughed. "I'd like an apple…"

"I'm pretty sure you're lying about that. I'm making some Beef Wellington."

Atalanta's ears perked. "What is…Beef Wellington?"

Mars turned his head to Atalanta, and the smell of the seared beef began filling the air; the aroma was thick, but it also had a calming sensation.

"It's beef wrapped in a puffy pastry, similar to fresh bread, but not at the same time. I've been working on this for hours. It's a very delicate and time-consuming dish," Mars shortly explained as going step by step would surely bore the Archer.

"Hmm. I'll take that and an Apple," Atalanta answered with slight hesitation. She wasn't sure what to think of her Master being a cook. A spiteful part of her wants him to fail, while another wants him to succeed.

Why was she acting like this?

"I feel like you're judging me," Mars said to the now-seated Huntress. Her emerald eyes briefly glowed.

"I'm not Master. It's just a habit I have."

"Right, you don't trust me?"

"It's…not that."

Mars took a moment to turn his body to focus solely on the wild Archer. "It's okay not to trust me just because I summoned you. That means you're relying on your past trials to help you judge me as a decent or terrible character."

Atalanta opened her mouth to speak. "Master, were you betrayed recently?"

The question seemed to elicit a disgusting feeling within Mars. Even Atalanta felt it through their Master-Servant bond.

"Sorry-"

"It's okay!" Mars stopped the apology with a dismissive wave. "Me and my partner, Gudako, were in a Singularity a few days ago before your summoning."

"A Singularity?"

"Ah! We didn't explain it because we want Gudako to summon her Servants first. But, a quick rundown is. Someone, a former…worker, tried to kill us. He succeeded."

"But you're here now, Master."

Mars grimly nodded. "I did die…but the Servant I draw my power from saved my life. The same could be said for Mash."

"Oh! The little Eggplant that Percival seems to have taken under his wing?"

"Haha! Yeah," Mars laughed. "In the Singularity, we fought against other Servants. The reason for a Singularity is if something that happened doesn't happen, or vice-versa, at least, from my understanding."

Atalanta took the information with a nod. Her understanding of the situation seemingly shook her more than she realized. It was practically an anomaly, a point in history that changed drastically that it…

"Master…why are there so little Humans?"

Mars closed his eyes, and the Bond confirmed Atalanta's suspicions. "Humanity is…gone. Only the people here are alive. Right now, this is our safe haven from the outside world."

A raucous screech reverberated throughout the kitchen, and Mars opened his eyes to see the bitter, cold stare of Atalanta's emerald gaze. It was like her eyes were developed from a freezing tundra, and just being in her line of sight could have you frozen.

"Everyone is deceased? The children…everyone?"

Mars could feel the unbridled anger from her cold stare. Just as it was cold, it was now a pit of flames. The emphasis on children was clear to Mars. He did a bit of studying about Atalanta and could tell that she wanted nothing but the prosperity of all children due to her early years.

However, Mars needed to stand his ground. His crystal blue eyes stared incisively at Atalanta, his calm aura being replaced with a torrent of darkness. Atalanta's beastly instincts kicked in, and she lowered her gaze.

"I understand your anger, Atalanta. And I hope that you'll still lend me your skills. Anyone who believes they can tackle every scenario alone is deluding themselves. I'm weak. The only reason I'm here is that I needed a Servant's help."

The silence that ensued was haunting, making the Huntress feel anxious. Her tail was stiff, and her gaze still looked away from Mars's own.

"I…will help. I didn't know the situation was like this. If what you're saying is true. Someone is tampering with history, which is why Humanity no longer exists or will...cease indefinitely?"

Mars nodded. "Correct. I'm telling you this because you were the first to answer my call."

Atalanta sat back in her chair, thoughts raced and curved in her mind at the prospect that everyone here was the remaining survivors. To do such a thing on a scale would require time, intense preparation, and a heart shrouded in malice...if they even have a heart.

"I appreciate your trust in me with this knowledge first, Master. As such, I hope to live up to your expectations in the coming battles ahead," Atalanta spoke firmly, her decision set and her resolve unshakable.

Mars remained silent for a moment. "Thank you."

"Is FATE recharged?"

Everyone gathered once again in the summoning room. Gudako looked nervous. She was twiddling her fingers like an embarrassed child. Rightfully so, she never summoned a Servant, so her fear and uncertainty weren't admonished in this situation.

Atalanta and Percival stood ready, having been informed that the chances of the Servant being summoned acting hostile would be in effect.

"Master, I have a question," Percival asked Mars, who was in between him and Atalanta.

"Of course. What is it?"

"It's about Lady Kyrielight."

"I did notice that you were caught off guard by her presence."

"Yes. The aura is no doubt someone very familiar. However, I know this isn't right of me, but I wish to keep my knowledge of it a secret. With your permission, I'd like to train her."

Mars gave a contemplative hum. "You have that look of defiance, Percival. I feel if I say no, you'll continue to pester me about it. Sure! Go for it!"

Percival released a pent-up breath and beamed. "Thanks, Master."

"Alright, Fujimaru. Place your hand on the shield and activate your magic circuits. It's the same way Mars did to summon his Servants. We believe we can only summon two servants a day, maybe three if we can upgrade the FATE system," Roman said as he rubbed his neck on the sidelines.

"Alright! Time for my Gacha moment!"

"Really?" Mars said with a deadpan, getting Gudako to laugh heartily.

"Anyway, here we go!"

Despite her nervousness, Gudako was ready to summon her Servants. She hoped her luck wasn't terrible. Mars would be ready to strike them down if the FATE system were to give her a rather detestable Servant.

Gudako's circuits began to flare, and pristine orange lines formed along her right arm. A roll of a dice clicked in her mind as she entered a slight trance, invoking a bright light, signifying the summoning process.

As the light simmered, the figure of a young girl was seen wearing fashionable Japanese-style clothing. It was a Taisho-style kimono consisting of a Hakama and long leather boots.

"Servant Saber, captain of the first unit of the Shinsengumi!"

"Oh…so Okita Souji?" Mars spoke bluntly, getting the Saber Servant to blush in embarrassment.

"I did it again! But yes! That's my name…but please call me Souji instead."

Percival, however, remained quiet for a moment. "Wait, that isn't my King?"

Mars could only pat Percival's shoulders, seeing that the man looked like he was about to cry a river.

"Great work, Fujimaru, it was a success! You summoned a pretty nimble Saber. Okita…erm, Souji will be a great addition!"

"You're my Master? Um…"

"Ah! This isn't a Grail War, Souji, but as you can tell, we have more Servants here. After I summon my next one, we will explain everything."

"Understood, Master, I will trust your judgment!" Okita replied with bright enthusiasm.

Gudako did the procedure once again, with the light blaring once again. Even though they just started using FATE, the light show felt like a common, everyday thing.

As the light faded, a hooded figure was seen floating. Their robe was a bluish-purple, hiding the top of their face, allowing their amused, curved lips to be shown, having a bluish lipstick present on them.

Mars felt his bond go awry, and he looked at Atalanta, who seemed to pale a bit.

"Medea?"

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AN: Second Summoning Chapter done! I hope you all enjoyed this one. I don't know if I messed up on Okita's character, but I'll wing it. The first half of this was to get the ball rolling for Mars and Atalanta. (Yes, she's the first of the harem, we're finally making headway.)

I've gotten a lot of people asking for Medea… so here you guys go! I was looking at the lists of characters in each role and looking at stuff strategically instead of just summoning women for the hell of it. I feel like the four I summoned are balanced right now.

Feel free to let me know your thoughts. I have about 3 more chapters planned before I tackle Orleans. Thanks for reading!

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