"Ughhh..."
My head feels like I haven't slept in days. It keeps throbbing-please, just make it stop.
I really need some water, so I try to open my eyes. Bad idea.
"Eghh! It's so bright!" The moment I open them, everything's blinding. The light hurts my eyes and makes my headache worse.
"Rikka? You're awake!?"
Huh. For some reason, I hear Aunty Nana's voice.
I don't have time to look toward the voice because suddenly I feel someone-I assume it's Aunty Nana-hugging me tightly.
"Rikka, you scared me to death... I'm so glad you're awake," Aunty Nana says.
I can tell she's trying to hold back her tears. It seems like I really worried her, huh.
"I'm sorry..." It's all I can say to her.
I slowly hug Aunty Nana back, and we stay like that for a while.
After we hugged for a while, I decided to ask Aunty Nana what happened after I passed out.
She explained that she panicked and started yelling to the entire orphanage about how I suddenly passed out.
Because of that, the whole orphanage fell into chaos, with everyone panicking too. Even all the children were crying, worried about my condition.
It seems like they still care about me, even though they didn't let me play with them previously.
During the panic, they decided to call an ambulance and bring me to the hospital. That's why I didn't recognize this room when I looked around.
Unfortunately, the others couldn't join in the ambulance, so Aunty Nana was the one who decided to come with me.
When we arrived, the doctors tried to find out what was wrong with me, but they didn't find anything. They thought I was just tired and got sick.
Since I was still unconscious, they couldn't do much else. They decided to wait for me to wake up before checking again.
"You were unconscious for six hours. I was so afraid you wouldn't wake up," Aunty Nana said, wiping her tears.
"Six hours..."
That's shorter than I thought. I remember spending a long time in that dark place, so I thought I'd been out for days or even a week by now.
"Wait, what did you say the hospital's name was again?"
"Hmm? It's Fuyuki Hospital. After you went unconscious, we called this hospital right away."
Fuyuki Hospital... That name... Nah, it can't be. It's probably just a name the hospital's owner came up with.
"Oh, right... By the way, I never asked before, but what city do we live in? And what year is it?"
"Why the sudden interest? Oh, right, you never watch TV or news since you're always looking for that manhwa stuff. The city where we live is called Fuyuki City, and today is 1991."
"...Fuck..."
After saying that, I suddenly feel Aunty Nana pinching both of my cheeks hard.
"Where did you hear that word, young lady? Did Takuya say that in front of you? I'm going to scold him later for that!"
"I'm swhorry!" I mumble through squished cheeks.
Takuya, of course, is Aunty Nana's boyfriend. He often comes to the orphanage, bringing lots of candy and other stuff for the kids, even me.
"That's a bad word. You shouldn't use it anymore, understand?" After a few moments, Aunty Nana finally lets go of my poor cheeks.
"I'm going to call the doctor now. Wait here, alright, Rikka?"
And so, Aunty Nana steps out of the patient room, leaving me alone.
"Well, there's nothing to do now. My headache is starting to fade, and I don't feel anything weird with my body..."
Now I can process what I heard earlier.
Fuyuki City. Isn't that the same city in the Fate/Zero anime I watched five years ago before I died? So, I'm reincarnated in that anime.
"How the hell didn't I realize this for five years!" I say, scratching my head.
So that's why when Lady Ava talked about magecraft, it felt familiar, like I'd heard it before. It's the same thing Kiritsugu and the other Masters used during the Holy Grail War.
Unfortunately, I only watched the anime until Kiritsugu destroyed the Holy Grail. I don't know what happened after that.
"If I knew this was going to happen, I should've watched until the end instead of pausing it because my boss called me!"
I touch my right eye, then decide to stand up and walk to the window.
From the reflection in the glass, I can barely see myself, but I manage to make out my eyes.
"They're black." Still the same usual black eyes I've had in both of my lives.
My Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. I never heard of them in the anime, but Lady Ava seemed to know all about them. And I never heard of Lady Ava either.
The only explanation I can think of is that they probably come from another version of the anime, like maybe Fate/stay night or Unlimited Blade Works or something.
There are too many versions. I don't even know anymore.
But first things first, I want to try magecraft!
Rule number one of reincarnating is to check if you have a special ability or not.
Besides my eyes, let's try the magecraft from the anime.
Let's see. The only cool magecraft I remember from the anime is Kiritsugu's, the one with time manipulation.
"Time Alter: Double Accel!"
...
...
...
...
...
After waiting a few seconds, nothing happens. "Of course..."
Well, that's normal anyway. I don't have Kiritsugu's Origin of [Severing and Binding], so I can't just use someone else's magecraft.
Plus, his dual attributes of Fire and Earth are so different from mine. It's basically impossible for me to use it.
Maybe I can search on Akasha Record for magecraft I can use, but my [Denial/Negativity] should be fine for now.
"...Huh? What did I just say?" I look around. It's the same room as before. Nothing's changed.
"That's weird. Where did that come from? And what the hell is Akasha Record? And what did I say again? [Severing and Binding]?"
It's so weird. I don't even know what I'm talking about, but the words just started flowing out of my mouth.
"Rikka! Why are you standing there? You need to rest!"
"Gyaaa!?"
Unfortunately, I don't have time to think more about it as Aunty Nana comes back with a doctor.
After that, not much happens. The doctor examines me and doesn't find anything wrong. I feel better already, so they only give me some vitamins. Finally, after a long day, we can go home.
I need to start writing the story when I get to my room so I don't forget about the Fate/Zero story.
There's just so much to do all of a sudden. I feel like I'm back to my 30-year-old self.
"Rikka, are you really feeling fine? You've been silent since we left the hospital. Should we head back now?"
Both of us are walking home since the hospital and our orphanage aren't that far. They used an ambulance in the first place because everyone was panicking, even though they didn't need to.
Well, by walking, I mean Aunty Nana is the one walking. I'm being carried by her.
"I'm already fine, really. I don't feel anything weird."
Aunty Nana clearly doesn't believe what I said, but she doesn't say anything more, only making sure I'll drink the vitamins later.
After 15 minutes of walking, we finally arrive at the orphanage house.
This orphanage is just a big house that Granny and Grandpa used to live in, but they couldn't stay in such a big building, so they decided to move out.
Instead of leaving the house empty, they turned it into an orphanage so it wouldn't be wasted. I wonder when they'll come back. It's been a week since they last visited us.
"We're home," Aunty Nana says as we step inside after closing the door.
As we step into the house, I notice how dark the entire place is. It's weird, like someone turned off every single light.
"Hey, Aunty Nana, is everyone already asleep?" I ask, tilting my head. "It's only, like, 7 p.m."
Aunty Nana freezes for a second, her face doing that thing where she tries to look casual but totally fails. "Uh, yeah, maybe they're all tired," she says, her voice a little too high.
She's such a bad liar, especially with kids. I can tell something's up right away.
It doesn't take long to figure out what Aunty Nana's hiding. We walk into the living room, where everyone usually hangs out and plays games together.
But the room is super dark too. I can't even see any silhouettes in it.
Suddenly, the lights snap on. "WELCOME BACK, RIKKA, AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
Everyone yells at once-from the kids to Aunty Ria, Uncle Takuya, and even Grandpa and Grandma, who are standing there holding balloons.
"Wait, what? What is this? Why's everyone here? And whose birthday is it?"
Aunty Nana suddenly turns me around in her arms so I'm facing her.
"Of course it's you, Rikka," Aunty Nana says, her face full of a big smile, like she's super happy she managed to surprise me like this.
Then she puts me down, and right away, the other kids start running toward me.
"Rikka, Rikka, happy birthday!"
"Happy birthday, Rikka!"
"We managed to surprise you, right?"
"Hahaha, you should've seen your face!"
Akira, Haruto, Nea, and Yua all shout at me.
Yua hugs me too. She's one of the kids who's close to me-or, like she says, she's my "underling" for some reason.
"I still don't understand what's happening! Can someone tell me?"
I know they said happy birthday and welcome home, but the problem is, this has never happened before in the five years since I was reincarnated into this world.
I don't even know my own birthday because I was just found in front of this orphanage's door without any note or anything.
The other kids, who are two or three years older than me-even Yua, who's older-have their own birthday dates since they came to the orphanage after some unfortunate incident happened to them.
I can feel a soft hand on top of my head, gently caressing me. "This is your birthday party, Rikka," Aunty Nana says softly, her voice warm and comforting.
"My birthday? But I don't have a birthday date... Even Grandpa and Granny still haven't found any information about me," I say, glancing at them. They're holding balloons, smiling at me with kind eyes.
I once overheard their conversation with Aunty Nana and Aunty Ria a long time ago. Even with the police's help and their connections, they couldn't find any information about me or any baby matching my description born in a nearby hospital.
"And that's why everyone decided to make today the day you being found 5 years ago is your birthday," Aunty Ria says, stepping forward with a grin.
"And this whole thing was my plan!" Haruto says excitedly, puffing out his chest.
"No, it's not! We all came up with this plan!" Akira snaps, glaring at him.
"Yeah, but it was my idea to surprise Rikka instead of just throwing it out of nowhere. Thanks to me, we got to see her face look so funny!" Haruto shoots back.
They start arguing with each other, their voices getting louder, while I just stare at them, still trying to process everything.
"We also got you a cake, Rikka!" Yua says, still hugging me tightly, her eyes sparkling as she looks up at me.
"No need to stand around. The main star is here, so let's get started!" Aunty Nana says, clapping her hands.
"Yeah!" everyone cheers excitedly.
I'm pulled along by the kids toward a chocolate cake that's already set up, candles flickering on top.
Once everyone's in position, Granny gently places a birthday hat on my head, while the others put on their own colorful hats.
"Today, February 17th, 1991, we're here to celebrate Rikka's sixth birthday," Aunty Ria announces, her voice cheerful but formal.
Everyone nods at the same time. Why does this feel like some kind of cult ritual instead of a birthday party?
"Five years ago, in the middle of the night, I heard a loud baby crying. Who would've thought that day I'd find a baby left in front of our orphanage?" Aunty Nana says, her eyes soft as she looks at me.
"And ever since Rikka came to the orphanage, this place has been so much livelier," Aunty Nana goes on, her smile growing wider. "All the kids love playing with her."
I sink lower in my chair, wishing I could disappear. This is beyond embarrassing! From my point of view, Aunty Nana's just piling on the humiliation, even if she doesn't mean to.
"When Rikka was a baby, she wasn't like other babies. She seemed so aware of everything around her," Aunty Nana says, her eyes sparkling as she looks at me. "She always paid attention to the other kids playing with her, making sure no one was left out."
I cover my face with my hands, feeling my cheeks burn. Can she stop already?
"Remember when Akira and Yua would fight?" Aunty Nana continues, chuckling. "Rikka would crawl right over to them, making the cutest little face. Just like that, they'd stop fighting, totally distracted by her."
The other kids start giggling, and I peek through my fingers to see them grinning at me. Yua's practically bouncing in her seat, and even Akira's smirking. They've never seen me this embarrassed before, and they're loving it.
"Unfortunately, if I keep going, we'll be here for hours, so let's get to the party!" Aunty Nana says, finally satisfied after embarrassing me. She stops talking, and I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Rikka, go on, blow out the candles and make your wish," Aunty Ria urges, gesturing to the cake.
In front of me, the chocolate cake has candles on top, arranged to form the number 5, all lit up and flickering. Everyone's waiting for me to make my wish.
Wish, huh... The only time I celebrated a birthday like this was when my parents were still alive, back during middle school in my old life.
After they died, I tried celebrating my birthday with friends, but it always felt so different without them.
I look up and see everyone staring at me. Their eyes are full of warmth and kindness, like they're looking at their own daughter-well, except for the kids, who are giving me impatient looks, clearly just wanting me to hurry up so they can eat the cake.
A small smile creeps onto my lips as I make a quiet wish and blow out the candles.
"Yeah, happy birthday, Rikka!" the kids shout, their voices loud and happy, and the party finally kicks off.
During the party, I find out that this morning, when the kids didn't want to play with me, it was all part of their plan to keep the party a secret.
They were afraid I'd see through their lies too easily, so they decided to avoid me the whole day.
Unfortunately, I went unconscious in the afternoon, which delayed their preparations because of me.
But luckily, they heard from Aunty Nana, who called from the hospital, that I was fine and there was nothing to worry about. So, they went ahead and finished setting up the party since it was almost done anyway.
"I hope I can keep living like this every day with everyone here, happy and together," I whisper to myself, watching the kids laugh and grab slices of cake.
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"Happy birthday!" Confetti suddenly lands on my head as Lady Ava stands there, holding handfuls of it in both hands.
"Why am I here again?" I blink, confused. I'm back in the flower garden, even though I clearly remember being at the party just seconds ago.
"What? Are you already bored of me? After everything I did for you, you're just gonna toss me aside?" Lady Ava gasps, faking shock and covering her face like she's about to cry.
"You didn't invite me to your birthday, and now you want me to leave? You're so mean! Sniff, sniff," she whines dramatically.
It hasn't even been two hours since I met her, but I already want to punch her beautiful face. I mean, I'm grateful she saved me before, but I thought she'd be some elegant lady with her fancy appearance. Turns out, she's... like this.
"You're thinking something bad about me, aren't you?" Lady Ava says, peeking through her fingers with a sly grin.
"No, of course not! How could I say anything bad about my savior?" I shoot back, flashing her my most innocent smile.
"Alright, if you say so," she says, dropping her act.
In the end, Lady Ava stops her dramatics and starts walking away from me.
I think I'm about to wake up in the real world, but it turns out she wants me to follow her. So, I trail behind her, my small feet crunching on the soft grass.
We head back to the same table and chairs where we sat earlier.
"So, why did you call me here again? And how did you even do that?" I ask, crossing my arms.
"I can only call you here when you're sleeping," Lady Ava explains, sitting down gracefully.
"Sleeping? But I don't remember falling asleep," I say, frowning.
I'm 100% sure I was still eating cake when I got yanked into this place.
"Your small body can't handle staying awake during a party like that, especially after everything that happened to you today. Sooner or later, your body was bound to need sleep," she says, leaning back with a knowing look.
So, basically, I fell asleep while eating cake. Damn this child's body! I just hope my face didn't smash into the cake or that I didn't fall off the chair.
"Then why am I here?" I press, narrowing my eyes.
"Of course, because my explanation wasn't done when you left before. Also, seeing you try to use magecraft was so funny!" Lady Ava says, a sly smile spreading across her face.
"What? What do you mean?" I ask, my face heating up.
"Time Alter: Double Accel' and you trying to make that serious expression? It was just too funny!" Lady Ava bursts out laughing, clearly having way too much fun with this.
"STOP!" I yell, my cheeks burning. How the hell does she know? She's in this place-how could she see me?
A few minutes later, after she's finally done laughing, Lady Ava wipes her eyes.
"Sorry, sorry, it was just so funny!" she says, still giggling a little.
"Hmph! If you're just here to laugh at me, I'm gonna leave," I huff, crossing my arms.
"Alright, alright, let's get to the point. I explained magecraft to you before, but do you know about Magic Circuits?" she asks, tilting her head.
Magic Circuits... If I remember right, they're connected to my soul? They're paths that link the material world to the astral plane, used to perform Mysteries or what they call Magecraft.
"Huh?" I blink, confused by my own thoughts.
"I see you already know about it," Lady Ava says suddenly, her eyes glinting.
What? I don't know... But I do? Where did that come from? I remember in Fate/Zero, Kiritsugu talked about Magic Circuits because his Origin Bullets could destroy them, but I don't recall exactly what he said.
"And today, we're gonna learn how to activate your Magic Circuits, yeah!" Lady Ava claps her hands excitedly, bouncing in her seat.