Servants Summon Arc: Regression to the Age of Gods

***Let silver and steel be the essence.***
***Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.***

***Let my great Master Ophiuchus be the ancestor.***

***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;***

***My will shall become your body, and my fate shall be with your sword.***

***Heed the beckoning of the Holy Grail.***

***If you will submit to this will and this reason…Then answer!***

***An oath shall be sworn here!***

***I shall attain all the virtues of Heaven.***

***I shall destroy all the evils of Hell!***

***From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,***

***Come forth from the ring of restraint, Guardian of the Scales!***
## Miscalculated Summoning

With the incantation spoken the eerie calm that blanketed the deserted island in the Aegean Sea was broken. While initially unremarkable, as the young woman recited each verse aloud her surroundings began to shake as if an unnatural pressure was rising from beneath the earth. Furthermore, the gentle sea breeze crossing over the ruins were whipped into a maelstrom around the intricate design on the stone surface before her. Bracing her right arm, she reached out towards the symbol before her, which had begun to glow with an otherworldly light. Completing the incantation the structures belonging to a bygone era were illuminated in magnificent radiance far surpassing the moonlight above.

Barely managing to not be swept off her feet by the ensuing burst of wind, Alena breathed a sigh of relief as she peered through the conjured mist for the one who would lead her to victory in the upcoming Grail War. It was there that Alena finally managed to catch the glimpse of a silhouette of a massive figure before her. Having acquired a fragment of the Walls of Troy to serve as her catalyst, she couldn't help but wonder which Heroic Spirit she managed to call from beyond the void. Brimming with anticipation, she could hardly contain herself as her servant came into view...

From the Throne of Heroes, the call resounded throughout the world. Many heroes felt the urge to answer the call, to seek the power to attain a wish to fix the broken lives many heroes had led. The catalyst, a chunk of material from walls that once defended a great city, suppressed the urges of many of these heroes. However, beyond the catalyst, the woman calling out for a hero to serve her had within her the blood of someone interesting to a certain being. He reached toward the light, above all other heroes trying to answer the call. Appearing in a flash of light, the man stood tall. Held in his hand was a spear with three prongs.

"I have answered your call, young maiden. I am Lancer, are you my master?" From the light, a massive man stepped forward. His straight brown was held back by a diadem. His face was framed by a short brown beard and mustache combination. Dark blue eyes full of intensity, anger, and desire stared forward at the young woman before him. He wore little more than a garment covering everything below his waist, the body of the man revealed shining blue marks, with pieces of silver decorating his arms. He looked the woman over as he awaited a response.

Alena glanced over the servant before her and found herself somewhat taken aback by the sheer physical imposition of the individual before her. While she had expected to summon someone of great renown with the catalyst she was able to painstakingly acquire, the figure before her exceeded her expectations. "*Perhaps I have been underestimating the potential of Heroic Spirits,*" she thought to herself. Only one problem remained, that being the true identity of her newfound familiar and partner in the war to come. She had expected a famous warrior from the Trojan War, but the spirit who identified himself as Lancer did not bear any traits from the spirits she was anticipating. Despite the classification he displayed distinct lack of armor, and instead was clad in a lightweight raiment and jewelry.

Realizing that she had yet to respond Alena quickly addressed the man before her. "My apologies, Lancer. As proper etiquette dictates allow me to introduce myself," the young woman began, a forced show of confidence on her voice, "I am Alena Ophiuchus, and the one that has summoned you in this war between mages." Directing her attention to the surroundings she ensured that no one was watching before continuing. "Could it be that you are Laocoön, the priest whose insight saw through the ruse of the Trojan Horse?"

Lancer's face grew puzzled and slightly angry at the mention of the priest's name. "Laocoön? I haven't heard that name in many years. Laocoön was the only one in that damned city to show me proper respect and not forget who I truly was!" Lancer struck his spear on the ground in frustration. In response to this, the ground had a very low shaking, noticeable for only a moment before the earth calmed down. "To answer your question, master, I am not Laocoön. I am the god of the sea, storms, earthquakes, and horses, among other things. I am Poseidon." Lancer grabbed a hold of his spear, showing Alena once more the three-pronged spear. It was the trident of Poseidon, one of the strongest weapons in Greek mythology. The very image of the trident invoked the image of Poseidon.

"It should normally be impossible to summon a being on the level of a Divine Spirit with the Fuyuki Method," Alena mumbled to herself as she turned away from her servant, contemplating the gravity of the situation. Being well versed in her family's claim to be of the descent of Medusa, she was quite familiar with the stories of the Greek Pantheon. Rather than considering them mere mythology or even exaggerated tales, she had been raised to recognize the events as historical fact. As such, she was quite aware of Poseidon's influence in her ancestor's legend. His acts without a doubt held weight in the chain of events that culminated in the the humiliation and eventual death of Medusa.

Coming to the conclusion that Lancer's minor display of power was not in jest, she turned back towards her servant. While it was hard to take personal offense from an event that occurred thousands of years ago, Alena couldn't help but be wary of such a being. As such, it would be important to confirm one thing before continuing. "Forgive my mistake, Lancer. Summoning a deity such as yourself exceeded my expectations," Alena began, a degree of agitation apparent in her voice, "Since you have answered the call of the Grail, I would like to know what it is you seek in return."

Lancer recoiled at the word "deity" slipping from the mouth of his servant. His expression hardened and he looked to the skies. The clouds rolled over the island, flashing lightning as they did. Thunder roared in the distance. He looked at the lightning as if it were an insult, a taunt from his younger brother. "Maybe I was, at some point, a god. Right now, however, I am merely a mortal seeking a return to my godhood. My throne on Olympus, my palace in the sea, they are empty," Poseidon said with a sense of longing. Mortal. Saying it had filled the former god with disgust.

Looking back at the girl, his distress could be seen in his eyes. "What I seek the grail for is my true nature. I want my godhood back, and more. I seek the power to defeat my younger brother and do to him what we once did to our father and the Titans loyal to him. Zeus will pay for making me into this lowly human form."

"I see..." Alena responded, solemnly, "...then we should have no conflicts in our collaboration." With that said Alena began to exit the ruins of the fallen temple. If they lingered here too long it was likely that her pursuers would catch up, and it would be difficult to avoid a direct confrontation. While she didn't particularly care if they were slaughtered, it would be troublesome if she compromised her unofficial standing with the Mage's Association. "We should probably move from here, Lancer. I've arranged a handful of suitable locations for us to operate from during the coming conflict," Alena explained, "Unless you had other plans in mind?"

"For the duration of this war, my trident is yours. I will use my power to destroy anything that stands in our path at your request. I have served a mortal once to regain my godhood, I shall do it again. Know this, master, when we win, and we will win, I will not accept being betrayed my need for the grail. Do not deny me what I have been promised, as I assure you, I will do this time what I failed to do to Laomedon," Lancer's intensity remained unchanged except for growing at the mention of Laomedon. The former god moved towards his master before fading, being unseen by all and heard only by Alena. "Never the less, my mistress, lead our way to victory."

"Hmph...a bold claim," Alena murmured as she strolled off, "In that case, I look forward to you delivering on your promise." Upon leaving the island she wondered how many of the other servants had been brought into this world.