”Okay, the last time I had a system I was… six. Maybe seven? I think it’s the same idea though, just… think about closing it and it’ll go away.”

As more and more Servants slowly finished with their awakenings, Seiji had been doing his best to close the blue box before him. It followed him when he turned his head, everpresent even as he closed his eyes. Cora laughed at his attempts to understand it for a while, but when Seiji mentioned picking anything just to get it to go away, she decided it was finally time to provide him with some actual assistance.

“I’ve been trying that! You were cackling while I asked for help!”

Cora clearly stifled a laugh, something Seiji didn’t appreciate. “It’s all in the mind,” she said, tapping at her skull. “Tell it to close with confidence, don’t just beg it in your own head.”

Seiji took a deep breath and closed his eyes, refusing to be outdone by a box.

Fate Has Decided…

Seiji took another breath.

Close.

In a blink, the Servant System disappeared from his vision. Seiji opened his eyes and met Cora’s expectant gaze with a shrug. Her expression turned mischievous as she reached for his hand.

“Okay, now give me your hand!”

He did so. Apparently, Cora was able to open his System on her own through physical contact. When the System didn’t appear in his own vision, he wondered whether she could’ve closed it for him earlier.

“Wow!” Cora breathed, eyes wide. “I’ve never seen a Servant System! Shame about the options, though.”

Seiji didn’t miss Cora’s comment. She’d mentioned that she had a System in her past, and just now she said she’d never seen a Servant System. After calling her out about it, Seiji learned more about what Systems actually were. According to her, they acted as guide rails – encouraging the body to grow in certain ways while gamifying advancement. Apparently, Systems weren’t exclusive to combat. Fishing Systems, agricultural Systems, even botanical Systems existed for those who required them. Cora noted that those who don’t use Systems tend to be stronger or better at a given task, but it also takes them longer to reach the same heights as those who use Systems.

Their talk was cut short when the voice of King Vassilis once again blared through the room, cutting off the many other conversations that’d been going on at the same time. Seiji looked around and found the Servants had all finished, each of them turned towards the king. Seiji did the same.

“It has come to my attention that your awakenings were considerably more intense than most standard magical awakenings. Please understand that it is necessary we test your fortitude before the Exams begin in turn – for myself and Cadets both.”

Though his following smile spread across the entire room, Seiji noted that it lingered in his and Cora’s direction a bit longer. While Cora returned it with an eye roll, Seiji decided to meet the man with a smile. He wanted to appear confident, so he hoped it came across as such. The king closed his eyes and gave the tiniest of nods before centering his gaze.

Glad that worked… I–

“Stop flattering him,” Cora hissed. “He doesn’t deserve it!”

After congratulating the Servants for their successful awakenings, King Vassilis went on to explain what each of the stats meant. Considering how self-explanatory they were, though, Seiji felt it quite unnecessary. Regardless, he listened attentively as the King explained that Strength meant ‘physical power’ and Health indeed meant personal durability.

“I understand that while this may be obvious, I would be doing you all a great disservice if I wasn’t thorough. Now that you know what these statistics mean, let me tell you how they apply to the three base classes.”

Now Seiji was paying attention. He had an idea he knew based on appearance, but he could never be so sure.

“Allow me to begin with the Fighter. Fighter classes–”

“Hey! Give me your hand again!” Cora whispered, stretching across the table.

“Here,” Seiji whispered a bit too quickly. Cora practically snatched his hand, but Seiji didn’t pay it any mind. He didn’t want to miss out on vital information talking to Cora.

King Vassilis had all but confirmed most of Seiji’s suspicions. The Fighter class prioritized Strength and Stamina at the cost of both magical statistics. The Mage was the exact opposite, prioritizing Magical Strength and Magical Stamina at the cost of both physical statistics. Balanced, meanwhile, gave even stats across the board – showing no favor to any one statistic.

Seiji wasn’t sure which one he actually preferred. While Fighter was most like himself on The Ardor, thus likely being the easiest to master, he wasn’t on The Ardor. How did people fight here? He considered Mage briefly, but found that learning a brand new fighting style would be far too time-consuming. Though Balanced was the most ‘boring’ option, it was also the clear victor. It would allow Seiji to rely on both magic and his battle senses. If he were able to combine both, Seiji felt he’d be an absolute powerhouse.

“I would like not to keep you all too long.” the King mused, running a silver gauntleted hand through brown hair. “Please, choose wisely. Considering tomorrow is the first official day, all official training facilities are closed.”

Seiji’d been hoping to spend the first night acclimating to magic and using it in conjunction with his combat. He did his best not to groan, turning to Cora to see her reaction to the news. To his surprise, she looked… happy. A bit too happy. She wore a self-satisfied grin as she stared into nothing, still keeping a tight grip on Seiji’s hand. Before he could ask about it, the King continued.

“After you pick your class, please report to one of the many butlers around the room. They will assist you from there. Thank you, and choose well!”

Before anyone in the room could say something, the King vanished into thin air. Seiji looked around to see if anyone else was surprised by that, and was met only by the gasps and puzzled expressions. The butlers, men and women in suits and ties, stood silent as though they’d seen this a million times.

“Now!” One of them on the wall close to the entrance yelled. “Please begin!”

As if on cue, the string quartet from before the King’s arrival began to play their songs once again, leading to more confused looks and even a few claps.

“You look… happy?” Seiji tried, confusion clear on his face.

Cora beamed, her smile stretching even wider. “Open your System!”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Dread passed through Seiji as those words hit. Surely she didn’t… Surely she didn’t… With a breath, he opened his system. Surely, she did.

SEIJI OTSUKI

TIER 1 MAGE

HEALTH: 10

STRENGTH: 5

STAMINA: 5

MAGICAL STRENGTH: 15

MAGICAL STAMINA: 15

AVAILABLE SKILL: DRAGON FURY

Seiji stared at his stats for a long while. Mage… Mage… His Strength and Stamina were… five?! If the King was correct, which he obviously was, that meant even if he reached Tier 8, his Strength and Stamina would still be lower than his magical statistics. When Seiji let out a loud groan, Cora’s demeanor was still just as bright.

“I decided I’d just give you a class closest to me in ability, that way we can be better–”

”Why?” Seiji fumed, making no effort to hide his rage.

Visions of the Hidden Hand washed over him like a tide, splashing him with memories of times he’d had his autonomy and freedom stripped for convenience.

“B-because… we’re a duo.” Cora stammered, her ears falling. “I wanted us to be able to train together.”

“I’m not a Mage. I’m an assassin! We fight with our hands, we don’t summon fireballs or any of that crap!”

Cora let go of Seiji’s hand, placing empty palms on the table as she leaned forward.

“That doesn’t matter. Hell, that probably helps! I rarely use weapons, so it should be easy for us to–”

“I don’t care about how you fight!” Seiji shouted. People from other tables began to turn their heads, but Seiji didn’t care. “We could’ve come to this conclusion together. You should’ve let me choose how my body is going to be advancing! All you did was prove to me that you’re inconsiderate and stup–”

“I take it your class has been selected, Servant Otsuki?”

A new voice, a woman in her mid-20s placed a slender hand on his shoulder. Though her brown eyes showed no malice, it was clear that she’d been judging him. Seiji looked around, surprised to find himself standing and panting, and saw that most of the people in the room had been turning to him and Cora. When he looked down at her, she lowered her head and swallowed deeply, but said nothing. In the distance, Seiji spotted Selene staring straight at him, laughing. For a moment, he remembered Cora’s face, how excited she looked, how happy she looked to show him his class. He compared it to the barely held-together form she currently held. When Seiji tried to speak, the butler leaned into his ear.

“Happens every year, don’t stress it. Let’s go, I’ll show you your room.”

With a nod, Seiji followed behind her. He decided to focus on the woman's black ponytail as they walked. It was easy to avoid the judgemental stares that way.

***

When they reached the facility housing the Servants, a tall white building with many windows, Seiji once again felt that he was far above his station. His dorm, located on the second floor of the building, was a large room with black-tiled floors, an intricately patterned gray rug, a ‘pull-out couch’, whatever that meant, a full kitchen, and faux greenery placed on shelves and stands all around the room. There was also a wide flat rectangle across from the couch, but Seiji wasn’t sure what it was. Instinct told him to check each drawer as he entered, but Thea insisted it was unnecessary.

Seiji and the butler, Thea, had fallen into easy conversation as they walked through Haven. She tried to convince Seiji that he wasn’t unique in blowing up at Cora. Apparently, it happened a few more times after he left, something he was surprised she even knew, but Seiji decided to take her word. He sat as Thea closed the door, continuing the conversation they’d already been in.

“I just… when she said she picked it I thought about my past. I didn’t mean to yell at her, I just–”

“Butlers in Haven are trained to meditate for an hour at the end of each day. We reflect on what we’ve done, what we could’ve done, and what we will do.”

Seiji took in Thea’s words. Meditation was common among the elderly in The Ardor, but whenever he’d try to empty his mind it’d just be invaded by thoughts of fighting and dreams of erasing everyone in the Hidden Hand. Now that he wasn’t in The Ardor, Seiji hoped meditation would work a bit better. He decided to think it through now, surprised with how easy it was to come to a new thought after mere moments of pondering.

“When I see her, I’m going to ap–”

He stopped when Thea placed a finger to her lips.

“You can think about all of that later.” She walked into his kitchen, opening a drawer to the right of the oven to reveal a notepad and pencil. Seiji shot her an accusing glare, but Thea rolled past it. “For now, we need to set up your accommodations. Let me know what you need. I’ll have it delivered within the hour.”

Seiji weighed his options. All he needed was food, water, and shelter. He said as much, and Thea insisted that meals and water would be provided at all hours of the day at his request. It was at that moment he realized how hungry he truly was.

“One large bowl of curry over rice, another of katsudon, a sushi platter, and… a plate of okonomiyaki. And a sashimi platter. And a sushi tray.”

“You have an interesting palette. I love foreign dishes!”

After repeating Seiji’s order back, she asked if that would be all. When Seiji said yes, she spoke his request into a small rectangular box at her hip. Before Seiji could ask what that was about, Thea spoke again.

“Are there any other accommodations? You’ll find there are very few requests we are incapable of meeting.”

Seiji thought about his next words very carefully. Though his food hadn’t come yet, she showed no hint of shock or surprise at the size of his order. If he was being honest with himself, Seiji knew he couldn’t finish it all, but he wanted to see if Thea would stop him. When she didn’t, he decided to keep going – he’d freeze everything he didn’t finish today.

“Do you have any suggestions? It’s hard to come up with things on the spot like this.”

Thea pondered for a while, pacing about his room. She leaned back into his black refrigerator and crossed her arms as she thought aloud.

“Well, if it were me, I’d say whatever comes to my head. If you’re missing anything, you could just come downstairs and ask for it. If the staff doesn’t have it, they’ll bring it within an hour.”

Seiji nodded, pacing about the room in thought. To the left of the thin black rectangle was a tall, freestanding mirror. He observed himself, long white hair clashing with the white and gold of the Servant outfits. While they walked, Thea had offhandedly mentioned that the provided Exam clothing was all white and gold, though they were free to wear other outfits. Just as the memory passed, Seiji decided what he wanted. First, though…

Placing a hand at the end of his ponytail, Seiji turned to Thea.

“Do you mind?”

Though he didn't actually know if she was armed, he could only assume she was. If Seiji’s own reaction to meeting Cora was any indication, there was no guarantee the Servants would all be pleasant with the butlers.

“Oh, thank the–” Thea coughed. Seiji stared at her blankly, the girl smiling sheepishly as she corrected herself. “Certainly, Servant Otsuki.”

With an upward slash, Thea cut Seiji’s hair down to a manageable length. Back on The Ardor, he’d taken pride in his appearance – learning to cut his own hair and style the clothes he’d been given quite well. What began as a means of passing the time turned into a bit of a hobby. He recalled his youth, buying clothes and trying them on in unique combinations, imagining he was someone else. It was a fun way to distract himself from the reality of his own life. When he pictured the outfits he loved the most, he spoke up.

“I would like–”

Thea stopped him, rushing over to her notepad. When she nodded and called for him to continue, he did.

Seiji didn’t hold back. He asked for fifteen pairs of black compression shirts, ten red short-jackets – styled similar to the Servant jacket, fifteen pairs of black cargo pants, fifteen pairs of beige sweatpants, ten pairs of boots each in various earth tones – as well as a black pair of course, one pair black fingerless gloves, a hakama with a black pantskirt, a pair of scissors, a set of daggers, and a curved sword.

Though he held himself back from adding any jewelry, he felt he’d been thorough. Nothing on that list accounted for needs, but Thea assured him they’d each be met. Seiji tried to consider outfits good for battle, though the hakama was admittedly his most vain choice. He’d always wanted one, and now he could have one. Seiji told himself it was to be presentable for the Evaluation Events. As for the scissors, he wanted to give himself a proper haircut tonight. He preferred an undercut. Seiji considered it long overdue. Finally, he considered the weapons. Daggers were his weapon of choice, the tachi being reserved for stronger opponents, but he was proficient with both.

As Thea read through his long list of requests, Seiji noted that she referred to his weapons as “Unaspected”. He saved that thought, deciding to ask Cora about it whenever they met back up. That thought sent a pang of guilt through Seiji. He’d almost let himself forget why he’d come back so early. Before his emotions could seize him, Thea spoke.

“These will be delivered within the hour. Your food will be coming shortly. Please, relax for the night. Showers are at the end of the hall. I’ve taken the liberty of adding bathroom linens to your accommodation list, if I may be so bold.”

Seiji sniffed his armpit and understood.

“...Thanks.” As the butler began for the door, Seiji called out. “Thank you for the advice, too. And the conversation. It truly means a lot.”

Thea weighed him for a long while, not saying a word. When she finished, she smiled at him with the gentleness of an older sister.

“Going forward, should you find yourself overcome by anything – be it past demons or current struggle – you would do well to speak to Cora.”

Seiji remembered struggling with his advancement, holding onto Cora for support. He remembered her joining him as they had a war of words with Selene. His face fell, but he quickly replaced his guilt with resolve. When they met again, the first thing he’d do is apologize.

“Thank you, Thea.”

She smiled and nodded, before turning for the door. When it didn’t close behind her, Seiji turned, surprised to find another butler holding a large circular platter with bowls the size of his head and plates as wide as both of his hands stretched wide.

Bewilderment turned to elation as the smells of his various foods hit his nose. He’d spend time thinking of a proper way to apologize, but for now, he’d fill his stomach.