I Can See Health Bars in Real Life-Chapter 506 - 12: Card Draw
——Servant summoning.
This is also a key research project of Chaldea, and the reason Akai Hinako agreed to Chaldea’s invitation is largely because of this project. Thus, her mastery of Servant summoning knowledge is beyond question, with each step committed to memory.
If one were to summon a Servant using one’s own abilities, it would undoubtedly require a rather complex magic ritual. However, since Singularities are equivalent to a special Holy Grail War, the difficulty of summoning has consequently decreased significantly. Even without a Master, a Servant can spontaneously be summoned...
Chaldea’s ability to reach this stage owes much to the help of those Servants.
Every Singularity has heroes fighting alone, persisting with unyielding courage, resonating with the last Master protecting humanity, often creating miracles.
Summoning a Servant relies on the power of the Holy Grail. As a Master, one merely acts as the bridge connecting Heroic Spirits and the world, providing the magic power needed for Heroic Spirits to materialize in this world. Nevertheless, the steps must be followed. Without Chaldea’s table... that shield— 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
Then the first step is to use fresh blood, mercury, dissolved gemstones, and other magical materials to carve a magic circle on the ground.
The so-called summoning array is composed of a "descending spirit" array surrounded by four "retreat" arrays, appearing as a large circle nested within a smaller circle, with a hexagram array inside the smaller circle.
The patterns are relatively simple, while the spell-like inscriptions appear somewhat obscure.
Gu Mo seized this rare opportunity, standing by with interest, memorizing each step thoroughly, including the details of carving the magic circle, the necessary actions and gestures to activate the magic, as well as the basic chant of the spell, and so on.
Standing there openly watching, Akai Hinako didn’t think much of it. She probably never considered that he was actually learning secretly, likely because she assumed Gu Mo as a pseudo-Servant, whose true form might be a powerful Alchemist or True Person, would not need to do such a thing.
"I vow upon this..."
The literature graduate girl, after confirming the magic circle was correct, began loudly chanting the spells, invoking the hero from the other side of time and space.
"From the Wheel of Suppression, O Guardian of the Scales—!"
Magic power accelerated and surged through her body with the chant. For an average person, the pain would likely render them unconscious, but Akai Hinako seemed unbothered. The magic circle also shone with immense light, stirring the magic power in the surrounding air, as lightning crackled and clouds roiled.
The atmosphere heaved, and in the valley, a violent wind tore through, making it impossible to keep one’s eyes open.
The curious Demon Hunter Girl standing by instinctively took a step back, shielding her face, while Gu Mo and Kikyo beside her watched intently, their clothes and long hair whipped up by the fierce wind.
The summoning diagram radiated brilliant light, as magic power friction produced storms and lightning, appearing to be grand and fantastical.
Yet...
Nothing occurred, despite the exact and correct execution of the summoning array, despite every faultless step by Akai Hinako, nothing came to pass.
The overwhelming brilliance, the intertwining storms and lightning, the luminous magic circle... all merely indicated the completion of the steps and the normal operation of the summoning array, like plugging in a device and the indicator light turning on properly.
Until everything subsided, the surging clouds and storming lightning faded away like mist and returned to the pure magic power itself, no heroic figure appeared within the summoning array.
Just as expected, it failed.
"..."
"..."
Akai Hinako seemed a bit lost, but soon regained her composure. She was prepared for this outcome, especially since Gu Mo warned her beforehand that the summoning might fail... To be honest, that "might" was already a very diplomatic way of putting it.
Like having only three stones and just one chance to draw...
At least for now, Akai Hinako doesn’t have the Emperor of Europe-like luck.
She took a deep breath, hiding her complex emotions behind her glasses, and shook her head calmly: "It seems there’s nothing we can do, the summoning couldn’t succeed..."
"This outcome was expected, Miss Akai Hinako, no need to be too disappointed."
Gu Mo remained quite composed. Likely, just as Emperor Shi sealed Araiyer in the Chinese Anomaly Zone, preventing the Boundary Recording Belt from connecting with this world, thus isolating the Heroic Spirit Throne; similarly, the world of the Singularity may be experiencing something similar.
Even if not completely isolated, the signal must be very unstable.
"But in this case, I have no Servant and may not be able to help much..."
The literature graduate girl appeared somewhat despondent but did not forget to maintain her current persona. She forced a smile, speaking softly. As if her low spirits were due to this reason, and the reason for wanting to summon a Heroic Spirit was, indeed, an excuse.
