Post-Meridian

**Post-Meridian** (also written as *Post Meridian* and *PM*) is the first book in the Meridian Series, taking place after the events of Fate/Stay Night and the fictional version of World War Three.

## Summary

A good twenty-one years after the events of Fate/Stay Night, Shirou Emiya finds himself as an unknown hero of World War Three, the only survivor of a Military Special Ops unit called APOCRYPHA, consisted only of Magi. However, during the final battle of WWIII, Shirou is once again placed in a situation where the city is burning, people are dying and he is incapable of doing anything.

As a result, he runs about frantically until he comes across a young girl amongst the rubble, whom he takes in as his own, naming her Hajime. He raises her and teaches her Projection and Tracing, as well as Reinforcement, and because her Elemental Affinity

Hajime summons Lancer, and soon encounters two other Servants; Shielder and Caster. Shielder flees the battle quickly, leaving Hajime and Lancer to fight against Caster. Soon after, Caster has pushed Lancer into a figurative corner when Hajime threw herself in the way of Caster's attack and took the hit for her Servant.

Lancer was horrified by this and desperately clung to her, begging for her to survive as the two had grown quite close, but she is very close to dying. Caster, amused by this, reveals that his own Master had been killed by Berserker and offers to become one of her Servants. Lancer protests, pointing out that this would consume too much of Hajime's Mana, but Caster points out that Hajime can always find alternate ways to gain Mana to support the both of them.

In order to save Lancer from getting killed by Caster because he was starting to annoy him, Hajime agrees reluctantly, and Caster becomes one of her Servants. The two of them disappear, just before Rin finds her and nurses her back to health. Rin realizes that Hajime has two Servants and offers to provide energy as well, which she insists and doesn't take "no" for an answer. Soon after this, the four of them encounter Shielder's Master, Yujo, who is portrayed as a coward and offers to give Hajime his Servant in exchange for his life.

Hajime accepts after discussion with Lancer, Caster and Rin, and after making a contract with Shielder, Caster kills Yujo out of cold blood. The next few weeks goes by completely silently, making the four become wary, until they are attacked by Berserker and his Master one night. Berserker's Master explains that she and her Servant killed Assassin, Archer and Rider, and now their only obstacle were Hajime and Rin. The four of them have a large battle, the result being a nearly-dead Rin, mortally injured Hajime and weakened Caster and Lancer, as well as a dead Master and a dying Berserker.

Before Berserker fades away, he seems almost relieved that he doesn't have to fight anymore. He and Caster share a short conversation before Berserker dematerializes, ending his career in this Holy Grail War.

Hajime is arguably unconscious when the Holy Grail activates, and it grants her wish of being with someone she can rely on and share warm words with, but at the price of that person, Lancer, forgetting everything (suffering amnesia), and Hajime gains an unidentified illness.

Once he is taught who he is, Lancer, or Achilles, and Hajime become very close friends, almost siblings, but begin to drift apart when they attend college, eventually losing contact with each other completely. Hajime begins to travel the world as a collector of sorts, gathering all valid catalysts she can find to prepare for a possible next Holy Grail War, and in search for her closest friend. She eventually finds him fighting in the army as a soldier, and, worried for him, she begs him to leave, but he refuses.

Unexpectedly, another Holy Grail War begins and Hajime is once again selected as a Master. With her large amount of catalysts, she eventually settles on one that would help her Summon someone she knows, and summons Caster, yet again, but this time Caster's true identity is Cùchulainn, who was Berserker in the previous War. The two get along fantastically, but Hajime's condition is worsening as time goes on.

As it later turns out, Gilgamesh (the true identity of Hajime's first Caster) was summoned as Archer in this Holy Grail War by the Einzbern family - the Magus family use several Command Seals on him to kill any Master and Servant he encounters, and he ends up killing Caster and Hajime with his "own two hands." Gilgamesh, who remembered Hajime upon seeing her, was horrified with himself for not being able to resist the Command Seals as not to kill her, and in a state of grieving and rage, he kills his own Master.

Achilles, who had caught wind Hajime was participating in the War, arrives, only to hear that Hajime has been killed and is thrown into despair at the loss of one of his closest friends. Gilgamesh, sensing him, finds him and demands that Achilles become his Master so the two of them, together can gain the Grail to wish for Hajime to return to them.

Achilles agrees, and with his ego and prideful demeanor temporarily shed, the two win the War with much more ease than expected. After wishing for her to return, Gilgamesh realizes he has been given a physical, human form like Achilles' and rejoices with his companion upon seeing Hajime wake up, alive and well. Achilles, acting upon instinct, embraces her tightly as soon she she sits up and kissed her, getting a playfully disgusted reaction out of Gilgamesh and pure surprise from Hajime.

However, it is quickly overruled by the happy realization that Hajime is alive and with them again, and the three begin to live together. It's described in the small epilogue chapter that Achilles and Hajime had eventually gotten married, and had two sons, one named Shirou, the other named Yōsuke.