Scarlet had no further interest in the Room of Requirement, so both girls left, together with the remains of the diadem, which Scarlet carefully wrapped in a cloth.

Alexis was fascinated by the cloth, which was adorned with intricate maple-coloured embroidery. The pattern intrigued her, and when she asked about it, Scarlet explain, “I made it using my hair as thread. The pattern is a pentacle that acts as a magic seal.”

She went on describe how her hair, imbued with magic, retained some of its power even after it fell out. “I collect the strands and use them for sewing. When I’m not feeling like doing much, I’ll embroider protective talismans - usually stronger than my jade pendent. I give them to family, though not to friends. I’m not sure how they’d feel about using my hair.”

Alexis looked at Scarlet in surprise. She had never imagined the neat bun Scarlet always wore held enough hair to sew with, and the idea of preparing beforehand never crossed her mind. Scarlet shrugged. “Just in case. I’ve been preparing these things long before I knew I was coming to Hogwarts. They’re basic support items for a caster on a mission. I could have used wood for carving, but I’m not good at that. Sewing is easier for me.”

Once they made it back to Scarlet’s training room and settled by her desk - where everything from papers and handmade crafts was neatly arranged - Scarlet placed the diadem remnants, wrapped in the sealing cloth, into a box. Then she turned to Alexis with raised eyebrows. “Now, can you explain this ‘Holy Grail War’ you were so anxious about earlier?”

“Yeah, so...Well, it’s like, kinda complicated,” Alexis admitted, pausing to collect her thoughts. “Since I know so much about you from your books, I suppose it’s only fair to share a bit about myself. Though my story’s pretty simple compared to yours.”

Alexis had been a normal American girl in her previous life. She was raised by a single mother, had two siblings, and gained a stepfather while she was in college. After graduating, she found work at a company but tragically died in a car crash a year later.

During her middle school years, Alexis had been a rebellious teenager. She’d adopted the valley-girl accent deliberately because she and her group of friends thought it sounded “cool”. Obsessed with makeup, fashion, hot boys, celebrities, and social media influencers, she became materialistic, caring only about her image. This caused tension with her mom, who struggled to afford Alexis’s lifestyle on a retail assistant’s salary. In a heated argument, Alexis accused her mom of not loving her, and ran away from home.

That month away was an eye-opening experience. Her so-called friends ditched her when she couldn’t spend a single cent. She slept in public spaces, ate from food banks and charity handouts, and even then, she couldn’t always keep the food – people would steal from her, sometimes kids threw stones at her because she looked ragged, dirty, and suspicious. She reached her breaking point when she witnessed people using drugs in a dimly lit alley. That night, broken and terrified, she rushed back home, where her mother welcomed her with hugs and tears.

Her valley-accent stayed, but she lost all interest in everything she used to find cool and attractive. After she return home, she stopped going out and discovered the vast world of the internet, where she became absorbed in the Harry Potter series and other stories, learning a lot from the experiences of the characters. Soon, she fell down the rabbit hole of video games and Japanese anime, and later into Chinese web novels and Japanese light novels. Though learning Chinese or Japanese was too difficult, she read through clunky machine translations.

She became an ACG enthusiast, what some might call a “nerd” or a “weeb”, but she found comfort in that community. Eventually, she studied game design in college and joined a small game studio.

One of the rabbit holes Alexis fell into was the Fate series, with its fascinating lore and well-crafted character designs. “Pretty much anyone who’s totally into anime will know a bit about Fate or Type-Moon universe,” she explained, surprised that Scarlet had never heard of it, especially considering the former caster had watched anime in her previous life.

“I did watch anime,” Scarlet said, pointing to her pendant, which stores her outfits. “Take this, for example. It wasn’t my design, but the designer was clearly inspired by Sailor Moon. And let’s be real, this is the easiest way to switch from regular cloths to battle gear, perfect for a caster on a mission. Anime is a great source of inspiration for thinking about how we can use enchantment.”

Scarlet paused for a moment, then shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I honestly can’t recall anything from the Fate series or Type-Moon universe you’re talking about. It might be because I stopped watching much anime after I finalised my chanting style, or maybe Fate just doesn’t exist in my previous world.”

Alexis nodded, taking it in. “I get it. It’s like the Marvel and DC universe - characters have different timelines and experiences. What happens in my world doesn’t necessarily happen in yours.”

“Exactly.” Scarlet leaned back in her chair. “So, about this Fate series. Should I be worried if this Holy Grail War you mentioned happens here?”

“Oh, yeah. Definitely,” Alexis said, a bit too seriously. “We’re talking about whole cities burning down, nukes exploding, maybe even continents being blown apart. Basically, like, the end of the world.”

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“...Huh?”

Alexis tried to think of a comparison Scarlet would understand. “Have you watched Dragon Ball? You know how Goku gathers energy to create a huge energy ball and throws it at his enemy, causing massive explosions? The Servants in Fate can do something like that.”

Scarlet’s eyebrows shot up as she imagined it. “Alright, I think I get why you’re so worried. But I haven’t seen any signs that a Holy Grail War is going to happen in this world.”

“I don’t know,” Alexis muttered, scratching her head in frustration. “This could be a fanfic universe for all we know. Who’s to say the author hasn’t, like, incorporated the Type-Moon setting into this world? If they’re a weeb like me, it could totally happen. Then the Clock Tower would most probably organize the Holy Grail War.”

“If the Clock Tower is as well-known among magic users as you say, then Professor Dumbledore would have heard about it,” Scarlet reasoned. “He’d probably try to stop the Holy Grail War ritual, wouldn’t he? If he knew about the ritual, he’d definitely know about the Servants. But when I told him I inherited ancient magic from the Queen, he didn’t seem to know anything about it...Okay, maybe he didn’t know about Her specifically, but surely he’s heard of Cú Chulainn if I mentioned Celtic heroes, right? Cú Chulainn is far more famous than the Queen. And yet, Professor Dumbledore showed no reaction when I introduce myself, never question me about Masters and all.”

Despite Scarlet’s attempts to make sense of the situation, Alexis still looked worried. Scarlet didn’t fully grasp the destructive power of the Servants, but she tried to calm Alexis down. “Well, aside from the Clock Tower - which is probably hidden like Hogwarts - are there any places from Fate that don’t exist in the real world?”

Alexis snapped her fingers. “Fuyuki city! It’s like, this fictional city from Fate, set in Japan. If that city exists here, then we can totally confirm we’re in some kind of fanfic universe that combines Harry Potter series and Fate.”

Scarlet nodded and thoughtfully and patted Alexis’s shoulder. “Alright, I’ll asked my dad to check Japan and see if there’s a city called Fuyuki.”

Alexis finally started to relax. Sitting up straighter, she said, “I’ll figure out a way to show you what I watched in my previous life about Fate. I still don’t think you realize how serious it’ll be if the Holy Grail War happens.”

“By all means, go ahead if it’ll make you feel better.” Scarlet didn’t seem too concerned, but then a thought crossed her mind. “You mentioned you were a game designer in your previous life?”

“Yeah, so?”

“So you know how to code a game, right?”

Alexis nodded. “Yeah. Why?”

A sudden idea lit up Alexis’s face. “Oh, wait! I could totally kickstart my game-making career now! Do you think it’s possible to send my resume to Nintendo or PlayStation?”

Scarlet raised an eyebrow. “No, I actually need you for something else. Fred and George need your help.”

“...What?” Alexis asked, confused.

“They’re interested in game design and want to create a magical version. I promised to help them find a good book on programming, but I haven’t gotten around to it because I’m not sure it’s the right path for them.” Scarlet gave Alexis a hopeful look. “Could you teach them how to make a game?”

“...Using Phyton or C#?” Alexis blinked.

“Using runes, of course!” Scarlet said with a grin.

“But I...”

“No buts, I believe you can do it,” Scarlet coaxed, throwing bait Alexis couldn’t resist. “You’ve mentioned the Fate series so many times, even though you were worried, it’s obvious you love the characters. Now imagine playing this game...but with real magic!”

Alexis froze as Scarlet leaned closer, draping an arm over her shoulder.

“Picture this: Cú Chulainn or that Gilgamesh you talked about, speaking to you, responding to your commands...just like in the game.” Scarlet lowered her voice to a teasing whisper, “And they’re calling you ‘Master’.”

“...Damn!” Alexis’s eyes lit up with pure desire and excitement. “Okay, you’ve totally sold me. But first, I need you to say a line for me.”

“A line?” Scarlet raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, like an in-game dialogue. You know, a voice pack.” Alexis looked at her expectantly.

Scarlet let go of Alexis’s shoulder and crossed her arms. “Sure, what’s the line?”

“First, change back into that battle gear you wore earlier.”

“...Okay?” Scarlet gave her a curious look, but complied.

“Now, give me a battle pose – something epic – and say this line in a serious tone.” Alexis hastily scribbled something down and held it up in front of Scarlet’s face. To Scarlet’s surprise, it was a Japanese sentence. The handwriting was messy and full of mistakes, but still legible.

“...Fine.” Scarlet stepped back, then paused, and idea forming in her mind. “Do you want some mood lighting and special effects?”

“You can do that?” Alexis’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“It’s just a small trick.” Scarlet shrugged, mentally preparing herself for what clearly going to be a cosplay moment. Judging by the line, Alexis was asking her to imitate a character from the Fate series, though she had no clue who. Still, it wasn’t the first time Scarlet had performed – she'd done plenty of that back at Caster Academy during carnival events when she was a student.

“Okay,” she said, gathering her focus. “Watch closely, and be quiet.”

The room dimmed dramatically. A glowing blue magic circle appeared on the stone floor, its intricate lines and symbols casting an eerie light. A gust of wind swirled through the room, amplifying the atmosphere.

Alexis stood mesmerized as a silhouette emerged from the centre of the magic circle, her red spear held in a poised wing stance, exuding a powerful, ominous energy. Her dark battle gear clung to her form, enhancing both her agility and protection, while her piercing green eyes fixed on Alexis with a cold, determined gaze.

Then, in a low, commanding voice, Scarlet spoke the line:

“問おう。貴方が私のマスターか ?”

[Toou. Anata ga watashi no masutā ka?]

[I ask of you: Are you my Master?]

Alexis felt like she could die happy right then and there.

Watch out, Fred and George, I will make the best game designers out of you!