Time is a picture in motion through eternity.
The thought drifted through his mind as he finished the last few runic lines of the summoning circle. Rising as he dusted off his pants, there was a brief moment of hesitation, he hadn't summoned her yet, so he had every chance to back out if he so desired, right? And yet... He'd come this far, he'd sacrificed so much just to get here. If he were to back out now, all of that would be for nothing - and there was still the chance he'd be a victim of the war anyway. He knew this was likely to be a vicious one, the other magi in the war were not likely to go easy on any who got in their way, and while he hoped to keep casualties to a minimum, there was still the fact that a few probably wouldn't stop participating in the war until they took their final breath. Thankfully, he was prepared for that. The crimson summoning circle that he had drawn and painted over the floor of the room seemed to shine briefly as he stepped over it, carrying an old and faded tome in his hands kneeling down once more to set the Japanese manuscript in the center. The catalyst for the summoning was one of the most important things, and he had picked a very antiquated catalyst. If he was right - he should be able to guess and ascertain the identity of his servant almost immediately, but even with a strong catalyst there was no telling what he could truly get.
Looking it over one last time with amber eyes, he exhaled faintly, the chill in the night air causing his breath to become visible as he shivered for just a moment from both the cold and the anticipation of what was to happen. Clasping his hands together, he felt his magical circuits starting to come to life, energy flowing through them before his hands slowly began to extend outwards, seeking to focus that energy as his lips started to part, and he spoke the ritual, his words soft at first, but slowly growing in power as he started to feel the connection grow between this world and another, a more intangible place, but one teeming with power...
Iron is the foundation, and fire is the catalyst.
O hero of old, lost to time and judged by history, heed my call.
From ages past to a new dawn, I call you from your eternal rest and bind your fate with mine.
Come forth! I summon you with the aid of the Grail, I summon you as my sword and saber in this war, O ancient hero. Heed this call and come forth, accept this offered sacrifice and arise into the world of men once more!
Every word drew more power from him, he felt the mana in his circuits being pulled out, drawn and used as the connection for the summoning. Before long, every word he spoke carried a wave of pain and shock through him as it drew on his ambient reserves, draining them to the very limit as the connection between the throne of heroes and the living world was formed, and something pulled from it, into this world. If everything went well, the pain, the effort to acquire the catalyst, everything would be worth it! As he continued to chant, the room began to glow with ephemeral motes of magical energy, the dancing sapphire lights slowly coalescing in the center of the summoning circle as they pooled and gathered... Only to eventually explode outward in a blinding and dazzling display as the young man quickly covered his eyes with one of his arms, the ritual completing with a more explosive climax.<|im_end|>
When the sapphire lights finally diminished at the center of the circle stood a woman, her hair the shade of cherry blossoms. Her eyes were a deep shade of blue, to compare them to the sapphire light from earlier wouldn't have been far off either. Her pink hair was drawn back into a bun, a hair piece that looked like a black and red fan held it place. Her slender, yet powerful arms were covered in black gloves with the fingers exposed. She wore black knee-socks, with geta sandals on her feet. Her milky white thighs were exposed. She was wearing a beautiful blue kimono that only stretched as far as the upper part of her thighs, dangerously close to exposing her most intimate areas. Her Kimono was held in place by strings tied to a black collar around her neck. A red cloth wrapped around her waist, holding the kimono in place. Two sheathes were tied to her hips as well.
Her eyes looked over at the man who had summoned her. Her eyes regarded him, was this the voice she heard as she was pulled through the ether? She remembered traveling, many wars, many fights, she had so many that she forgot them, or perhaps that was an effect of the grail's power.
"My name is Miyamoto Musashi," she said, "are you my master?" She asked curiously, though there seemed to be a feeling, a connection between the two. Still, he preferred her to answer, just so he knew who she was in all of this.<|im_end|>