Summary: As Kiritsugu leaves the island with Natalia, a different Grail War was beginning in London. With Emiya Noritaka's death, the Mages' Association and the London Clock Tower have decided to gamble on an idea which they only have one chance to succeed at.
The Lesser Grail War. A Grail with the ability to grant wishes, but not on the same scale as the Holy Grail of Fuyuki. Its purpose was to release magic energy upon granting a simple wish by the winner, which would then be harvested by the Mages' Association. In essence, it is merely a failed copy of the Holy Grail of Fuyuki, and has achieved a different effect of being a mana source instead. While the trade-off of six young mages' lives for magic enough for a considerable period of time was hardly deterring, the Mages' Association was reaching the limit to the number of Lesser Grails it could produce.
This time, the teams of Masters consisted entirely of Japanese mages, each possessing great talent and latent magic. Believing that they have entered the real Holy Grail War as a means to test their mettle as true mages before graduation, they have to emerge victorious against each other, without even knowing that they have to kill the very people they once called 'friends'.
A young Kotomine Kirei, in his encounter with the Supervisor of this Lesser Grail War, will eventually walk the path he did in the fourth Holy Grail War because of this encounter. The early manifestation of his Seals, along with the swiftness in gaining new seals, as well as the emptiness within his soul - all these can be traced back to his encounter in this Lesser Grail War. What exactly did he see back then?
With Servants that were never seen before in any previous actual Holy Grail Wars and never again in any future Wars, seven young Masters enter the Lesser Grail War.
Author's note: with regards to this story, I've tried to keep references to the Fate franchise as accurate as possible, but some parts may not match exactly with what you already know. There will be references, albeit light, and possibly foreshadowing to the events in Fate/Zero. It is recommended that you have already watched Fate/Zero before reading this.
I admit that I'm not the best writer around, but please try to keep up with this story. I've made the first chapter as short as possible but it will still quite long to set up the premise and characters of the story. I'll leave characterization to when the actual Lesser Grail War takes place.
The whole concept of the Lesser Grail War is something I came up with, so it may not blend well with the actual storyline. If you have any problems you wish to clarify, please message me or leave a review and I'll answer them or correct the mistakes I've made in chapters. Thanks for your attention!
Chapter 01 - The Summoning
Spoiler! :
-
Clock Tower, London
The lush green fields were bathed in a warm, gentle sunlight as the evening sun hung overhead. A mischievous wind caressed the grass, ruffling daffodils in their wake.
Yawning as he lay comfortably on the ground, Ishida Akatsuki tried to think of something interesting to do before giving up easily and succumbing to the allure of sleep. Just as the messy-haired teen was about to drift off to slumber-land, hurried footsteps in the distance made him grumble and sit upright.
"It's about time to gather," the owner of those footsteps, a boy of his age with black hair like Ishida, told him as he came closer. He was Hamada Tetsu, a childhood friend of his. "Shizuku told me to come get you."
"I suppose," Ishida sighed, stretching as he got to his feet. Dusting his clothes rather carelessly, he began walking after Tetsu, who had turned around and started trudging in the direction of the Clock Tower.
To any ordinary bystander, they would have been normal teenagers possibly skipping school. But outside the realm of common sense and mediocre human knowledge, they were children who studied the art of Magic, and were known as mages. Almost becoming full-fledged adult mages, they were currently completing their final years at the Clock Tower. All that remained was for them to pass a final Test that would be administered in a week's time.
"Kinda sad that we probably won't see each other much after this," Ishida said, walking alongside his friend in casual strides. "What with the test and all."
"Shouldn't be an issue, right?" Tetsu replied lightly, shrugging his shoulders. "Not for us, at least."
Ishida and Tetsu, as mages, had the affinity for Wind and Ice respectively. In their own areas of expertise, they were indisputably the best amongst their peers. Perhaps that was the reason they had been chosen for the test that had only been given to the best of the best in the past.
"Let's hope so," Ishida said meekly, drooping his shoulders.
As they continued walking, the skies overhead began to darken in the far horizon. Like a drop of ink on a sheet of unstained parchment, the periwinkle blue heavens became slowly, but surely, dyed in the color of a callous grey.
-
British Museum
"So it has been decided?"
Nodding his head in a satisfied manner, the curator of the British Museum – which was the headquarters for the Mage's Association – answered Lord El-Melloi's question wordlessly.
The curator was a man in his mid-fifties, although his eyes were able to reflect the liveliness of a young man in his twenties. He was a high-ranking individual in the Mage's Association, although not to the level of the Director, who was the individual of the highest power. He was of course also nowhere at the level of Barthomeloi Lorelei, the Vice Director of the Mage's Association.
"So I take it that the Director gave his consent?" Lord El-Melloi asked, although the answer was probably quite obvious already. The Director, an enigma who, as the same person, managed to stay as the Director for over 2000 years and was rumored to be non-human, was unlikely to have taken part in matters this trivial.
"Vice-Director Barthomeloi gave the go-aheaed," the curator replied. "She deems it as a means as a necessary means to save the Mage's Association."
Although not many mages were aware of this, the Mage's Association was facing the problem of running out of a reliable source of magical energy due to its strict policy or law of absolute secrecy. Having become removed from the rest of the world for far too long, they were truly starting to reach an end to the magic they could draw with their depleting funds.
"So this 'Lesser Grail' will be able to solve this issue?" Lord El-Melloi asked, looking out the window.
"I'm aware that you were not a part of this upon its initiation," the curator chuckled at this; there were things going on that even the noble Lord El-Melloi was unaware of. It was truly a rare sight. "I shall explain it to you. Having created a replica of the Holy Grail after the success of the Three Starting Families, the Mage's Association's 'Lesser Grail', as they call it, is able to serve the same properties as the actual Holy Grail, but to less powerful extent by far. However, while it can only grant trifle wishes and is impossible for it to be a means to reach the Root, when its purpose has been served it gives off an extraordinary amount of magic power that can be harnessed upon granting the winner's wish. The Mage's Association has been carrying out these… Grail Conflicts in secret to supplement their own magic thus far, but the amount of Lesser Grails that could be summoned was limited. This Lesser Grail that will be summoned a week from now will the last that the Mage's Association can produce. As such, there is a need for this one Grail Conflict to be able to provide us with an amount of magical energy that is totally unprecendented."
"But how will you achieve that?" Lord El-Melloi enquired. "If it's nowhere near the power of the true Holy Grail of Fuyuki, it should not be able to accomplish that purpose."
"That's where this particular special case comes in," the curator said with a pleased smile. Producing a photo from his chest pocket, he placed it on the table and showed it to Lord El-Melloi. "This man has made it possible for us to pull off such a feat."
"This man?" Lord El-Melloi would have scoffed at the face of such a man; he grew an untidy stubble and had a rather depraved look, as though he was unable to make a living and had to work his entire life incessantly to make ends meet. "Is he a magus?"
"He is a special case," the curator replied. "His name is Emiya Noritaka, and he is a magus with a Sealing Designation by the Mage's Association. He had been researching on a means to manipulate the Time within living things, which would serve as the main means of accomplishing our goal."
"Will such a mage lend his powers to us?" Lord El-Melloi asked. As a magus with a Sealing Designation, it was unlikely that this man Emiya Noritaka would ever lend a hand to the Mage's Association, especially when the latter was close to being annihilated from the inside.
"He's dead."
The curator's sudden declaration caught Lord El-Melloi off-guard. If such a magus had died, then it would likely to be impossible to continue his research. Unless…
"He was gunned down on an island called the Arimago Islands or whatnot not too long ago," the curator continued nonchalantly. "I would expect it's the work of that Natalia Kaminski; but this time she's helped us. We've confiscated most of Emiya Noritaka's Magic Circuits, and gave an insignificant amount to his heir. With that amount I doubt he'll ever be able to continue his father's research in his place, but we cannot wait for him even if he could. The fruits of Emiya Noritaka's research will finally bloom this time. However, I suppose explaining will not do. I will show you exactly what I mean when it succeeds."
Lord El-Melloi did not press on for more information, not even about a magus being shot down by the likes of a mere gun, instead chose to stare intently at the photo.
"Controlling the innate time of living things…" he muttered. "Emiya Noritaka… truly a formidable and dangerous man…"
"Speaking of heirs, how are you doing on your side?" the curator asked suddenly. "The noble lords of the El-Melloi would require someone to take over soon, I assume?"
"The presumed ninth head of the Archibald family will take my place," Lord El-Melloi replied. "It's only natural; the Archibald family has been in command of the El-Melloi Lords faction for all this time. I believe his name was Kayneth. He's a bright individual with great talent."
"Even at such an age, he's already hailed to be a sure participant in the fourth Holy Grail War, is he not?"
"Indeed. It puts my heart at ease knowing he will succeed me. But I suppose for now I shall settle for the results of this Lesser Grail you speak of instead."
"Very well," the curator said with a wide grin on his face. "You shall not be disappointed."
-
Clock Tower
Reclining in a hammock he built secretly near the window, Hamada Tetsu let out a loud yawn. He had entirely lost track of time, but in reality not more than ten minutes had transpired since he and Ishida walked through the doors of their dorm room.
Ishida, Tetsu and six other of their peers, being childhood friends as well as mages of exceptional talent, were given special treatment by the Clock Tower. They were given one room to themselves, and its size was comparable to a regular apartment unit. Suffice to say, it was sufficient for eight students to live in. It was given to them to practice their magecraft until it was time for their final graduation test.
The graduation test that the eight of them, like the one previous elite mages of the Clock Tower took, was unique only to eight individuals every year. For every member of their group, which one of them affectionately named 'Avifauna', to be chosen together was something akin to a miracle.
Next to Tetsu, Ishida 'Aka' Akatsuki sat with his back to the window, reading a novel. With little knowledge of the mundane human world beyond their own, the mages of Avifauna gave themselves nicknames corresponding to birds that they especially liked. Aka, with the affinity of Wind, was given the nickname 'Falcon'. Tetsu, the 'Flamingo', tried to read over Aka's shoulder but was unsuccessful from his hammock, and gave up with a grumble.
In another corner of the room, playing with a portable gaming device, were Ooyama 'Ran' Ranichi – the Albatross – and Ootei 'Ken' Kenichi – the Mockingbird. While such games were a rarity for mages who devoted themselves to the study of magic, Ran and Ken, the chubby pair would rather spend the whole day playing games indoors than chanting spells. While Ken had the affinity for Earth, Ran's affinity was Lightning and the one magic he devoted the longest time to perfecting was how to recharge his gaming device's battery without its charger.
Watching over their shoulders and occasionally offering advice was Komori 'Maru' Ushimaru, a mage with an affinity for Wood and the nickname Pigeon, which was comical considering he was chubby like Ran and Ken, although about a full one and a half heads shorter. Although not an avid player, he spent a lot of time reading up such games, particularly the 'Beast Hunter' that Ken and Ran were currently playing.
Silently meditating in the middle of the room was the leader of the group, Otonashi Shizuku. A first-class mage in Necromancy, he was always the one who led the team with a calm mind and his sagacity made him a reliable ally. He was given the nickname 'Nightingale', and was almost always silent around anyone save the members of Avifauna.
Hurried footsteps preceded the slamming open of the door. Panting heavily, the final two members of Avifauna arrived.
Morikawa Rei was a well-built boy with short hair and thick spectacles, something that was rather unusual for mages who do not require much, if any, physical strength. His affinity with Water and nickname 'Sparrow' made him a very unique kind of mage, be it in magecraft, physique or personality.
Takahashi 'Hiro' Masahiro was a full head taller than Rei. His eyes looked like they were constantly closed, although they were just small to begin with. His affinity was Fire, and his nickname was the 'Vulture'. He may seem airheaded at times, but he was without a doubt the best fire mage amongst his peers.
"Right," Shizuku spoke up with an air of authority, even though he was merely talking as per normal. This in itself could be said to be a testament of his charisma. "Now that everyone's here, let's begin."
He did not even ask for the reason Hiro and Rei were late. He did not need to hear it. He merely trusted they would definitely come, and now that they have, there was no need to question anything. The degree of trust between the eight of them was something that mages would often never possess, considering the hostility and competition between mages was a norm.
"Today's the last day we'll be spending here in this room, and as a team," he announced. "Today, everyone's going to take their own graduation test, so as a formality I'll wish you all good luck."
"Yeah, ain't no nyan-nyan to need some dumbass luck," Ran said, mimicking a character he read about in a manga.
"I need it," Aka said, shrugging his shoulders. Naturally, he believed himself to need it, being the one with the least self-esteem amongst the eight.
"Says the guy who got top grades in the previous exam for Wind Mages," Ken commented, rolling his eyes.
"In any case," Shizuku continued, as though he had not been interrupted. Instantly, everyone kept quiet and listened to him. "We won't be able to speak of the details of our tests to each other, but I'm sure it won't be that impressive anyhow. When we've beat this farce of a test, let's gather and have Hiro treat us to a meal."
"Yay~ Wait what?" Hiro changed his tone from cheering childishly to blank confusion. Sniggers were heard from the group but quickly died down.
"It's almost time, but does anyone have something to say?" Shizuku asked. He did not believe that further words were necessary since he had absolute confidence that nothing could possibly happen to them, given the mages they were. "If not, you're dismissed."
It was apparent that everyone else shared his views, as no one spoke up. Silently, without even a cheer to spur themselves on, the eight young mages left the room and headed to their designated venues.
-
Clock Tower, Summoning Chamber VIII
Holding his breath, Aka listened to his instructor as he explained the details of his test. Apparently the test was a form of contest called the 'Holy Grail War', and there were several things he had be taught before he could even begin the summoning of his 'Servant', whatever that was.
"Is there anything you wish to confirm with me?" the elderly mage asked. Aka kept silent for a few moments, before shaking his head lightly. "Very well. Now, before we summon your Servant, I need you to sign this."
Producing a scroll of parchment, he passed it to Aka who gingerly received it and read through its contents with wide eyes.
His reaction was only to be expected; the scroll in question was a Geas Scroll, a contract that binds those who form it for all eternity. Even if one was to die after breaking the contract, the magic would bind one's soul even after death. Such a dangerous magic was never presented to students at the Clock Tower.
"Restriction Spell…" Aka read out loud. "Those under this contract shall be unable to harm, or act with the intention to harm, any of the members signed below. But this… is blank, sir."
"Indeed it is," the old mage replied. "That is for you to fill in your name. We will be applying this to the other seven members of your group as well. This is a gift from the Mage's Association with utmost respect for the friendship and trust that you all have displayed."
"With all due respect, sir, I would have to refuse," Aka declined politely, pushing the scroll back to him. "I believe in them, and I'm sure they in me to the same extent, so this is totally unnecessary."
"You are still young, and thus unfamiliar with the workings of our world, young lad," the old mage replied. "This is a world of magic, and it's in your best interests to protect yourself to anyone who wishes to get in the way of your trusted bonds. With the way that the world is falling into chaos now, it is something that we bequeath to you eight to preserve your friendship."
Although he was hardly convinced, after a full thirty minutes of persuasion Aka finally gave in and signed. Still feeling a little uneasy, he got up and followed his teacher into the deeper part of the room, where a magic circle had been intricately drawn on the floor with mercury.
The granite walls, giving off an eerie glow radiating from a few small glowing orbs hovering in the air, made Aka even more uneasy. Not being bothered in the least, the old mage instructor walked to the opposite end of the room, where a velvet box had been placed upon a stone podium. Opening it, he began to speak.
"Your victory in the war is imperative," he began. "Your triumph will reflect well not just on yourself, but on the Wind Mages here at the Clock Tower. As such, I have prepared the perfect catalyst for the summon of the perfect Servant. The only problem is that he cannot be summoned under any regular class, so I need you to recite the additional lines I taught you earlier into the summoning."
"I must confirm one last thing, sir," Aka said suddenly, having being hesitant all the while. "I understand it is the easiest to obtain sure victory by killing the other Masters as well as Servants, but it is also fine not to kill the Master as long as the Servants are killed, correct?"
"Yes, in theory," the old mage replied slowly. "But it is an unspoken rule to not only preserve secrecy of magecraft, but the identity of yourself as a Master once the War begins to the best of your ability. You understand this, yes?"
"… I understand."
"Well then, by all means, proceed with the summoning."
Nodding to himself, Aka stretched out his right hand.
Unknown to Aka, as well as the other seven members of Avifauna, the eight of them had been pulled into the same 'Holy Grail War' where the Masters sought to kill each other. While dying at the hands of another mage was normal for mages, to these young mages it was not something that could be easily done. That was why they were kept from the identity of the other Masters, even though the Mages' Association and the Clock Tower already knew. After all, they were Masters selected by those two parties to fight over not the Holy Grail, but the Lesser Grail they created to supply the Mages' Association with mana without said organizations having to put in much effort.
-
Holy Church
Ootei Kenichi was feeling rather perplexed. He was told that his test involved taking part in the Holy Grail War right here in London, but he was no participant. Instead, his role was to act as the supervisor of the War itself, and, without revealing his identity, mitigate and watch over all the occurrences that transpire throughout the war. Although it was something extremely simple, Ken felt incredibly disappointed.
Heaving a heavy sigh, the Mockingbird walked down the hallways and towards the appointed location to be assigned officially as the Supervisor.
"Good luck, guys," he muttered under his breath.
-
Clock Tower, Summoning Chamber V
"Who're they, sir?"
Expressing his doubts, Shizuku asked apprehensively. His instructor, a woman in her mid-forties, did not even bother looking at him as she replied.
The reason for Shizuku's uncertainty was obvious: on the opposite wall, separated from him by the large summoning circle between them, were a young boy and a young girl, no older than five, each holding a small rat in their hands.
"They've been hypnotized," his instructor finally spoke up, after checking on the magic circle. "Both the children and the rats. Your catalyst," she added, raising her voice to interrupt Shizuku before he could ask his question, "Is slightly different from normal catalysts, which are typically objects. The Servant you will be summoning is someone known for his deeds in his legend. Here, we will replicate that legend so as to draw it in."
"Rats… and children…" Shizuku raked his brain as fast as he could, trying to figure out the true identity of his Servant. "You don't mean-?"
"Bingo," his instructor replied lazily. "Now, get on with it."
-
Clock Tower, various Summoning Chambers
All at once, seven voices, heard by no one but their owners and their instructors, rang out clearly. The chant, exactly the same as the real Holy Grail War almost two centuries ago, reverberated through the callous granite walls.
Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill.
Repeat five times, but destroy each when filled.
A base of Silver and Steel.
A foundation of stone and the Archduke of Contracts.
An ancestor, my great master, Schweinorg.
A wall to block the falling wind.
The gates of all four directions close.
From the Crown, come forth and follow the forked road to the Kingdom.
I hereby propose.
My will shall create thy body,
And thy sword shall create my fate.
Abiding by the summons of the Holy Grail,
If thou dost accede to this will and reason, answer me!
I hereby swear.
I will be all that is good in the eternal world.
I will be the disposer of all that is evil in the eternal world.
-
Clock Tower, Summoning Chamber VIII
Steeling his resolve, Aka chanted the extra line that had been taught to him.
"But let chaos cloud thine eyes," he chanted as the summoning circle in front of him shone brilliantly, as though answering to his words. "Thou, who art trapped in a cage of madness. And I, who doth hold thy chains!"
Clock Tower, several Summoning Chambers
Thou, the seven days clad in the Great Trinity, come forth from the circle of constraint.
Guardian of the Heavenly Scales!
Light erupted from the center of the room, exploding from the mere shine moments before. As the light fades into nothingness, in front of each Master was their own Servant. In that one instant, seven different Heroes were brought forth, transcending time and space into a brand new era.
Without any idea that they had bared their fangs at their own friends, the eight mages entered the Lesser Grail War.
Clock Tower, London
The lush green fields were bathed in a warm, gentle sunlight as the evening sun hung overhead. A mischievous wind caressed the grass, ruffling daffodils in their wake.
Yawning as he lay comfortably on the ground, Ishida Akatsuki tried to think of something interesting to do before giving up easily and succumbing to the allure of sleep. Just as the messy-haired teen was about to drift off to slumber-land, hurried footsteps in the distance made him grumble and sit upright.
"It's about time to gather," the owner of those footsteps, a boy of his age with black hair like Ishida, told him as he came closer. He was Hamada Tetsu, a childhood friend of his. "Shizuku told me to come get you."
"I suppose," Ishida sighed, stretching as he got to his feet. Dusting his clothes rather carelessly, he began walking after Tetsu, who had turned around and started trudging in the direction of the Clock Tower.
To any ordinary bystander, they would have been normal teenagers possibly skipping school. But outside the realm of common sense and mediocre human knowledge, they were children who studied the art of Magic, and were known as mages. Almost becoming full-fledged adult mages, they were currently completing their final years at the Clock Tower. All that remained was for them to pass a final Test that would be administered in a week's time.
"Kinda sad that we probably won't see each other much after this," Ishida said, walking alongside his friend in casual strides. "What with the test and all."
"Shouldn't be an issue, right?" Tetsu replied lightly, shrugging his shoulders. "Not for us, at least."
Ishida and Tetsu, as mages, had the affinity for Wind and Ice respectively. In their own areas of expertise, they were indisputably the best amongst their peers. Perhaps that was the reason they had been chosen for the test that had only been given to the best of the best in the past.
"Let's hope so," Ishida said meekly, drooping his shoulders.
As they continued walking, the skies overhead began to darken in the far horizon. Like a drop of ink on a sheet of unstained parchment, the periwinkle blue heavens became slowly, but surely, dyed in the color of a callous grey.
-
British Museum
"So it has been decided?"
Nodding his head in a satisfied manner, the curator of the British Museum – which was the headquarters for the Mage's Association – answered Lord El-Melloi's question wordlessly.
The curator was a man in his mid-fifties, although his eyes were able to reflect the liveliness of a young man in his twenties. He was a high-ranking individual in the Mage's Association, although not to the level of the Director, who was the individual of the highest power. He was of course also nowhere at the level of Barthomeloi Lorelei, the Vice Director of the Mage's Association.
"So I take it that the Director gave his consent?" Lord El-Melloi asked, although the answer was probably quite obvious already. The Director, an enigma who, as the same person, managed to stay as the Director for over 2000 years and was rumored to be non-human, was unlikely to have taken part in matters this trivial.
"Vice-Director Barthomeloi gave the go-aheaed," the curator replied. "She deems it as a means as a necessary means to save the Mage's Association."
Although not many mages were aware of this, the Mage's Association was facing the problem of running out of a reliable source of magical energy due to its strict policy or law of absolute secrecy. Having become removed from the rest of the world for far too long, they were truly starting to reach an end to the magic they could draw with their depleting funds.
"So this 'Lesser Grail' will be able to solve this issue?" Lord El-Melloi asked, looking out the window.
"I'm aware that you were not a part of this upon its initiation," the curator chuckled at this; there were things going on that even the noble Lord El-Melloi was unaware of. It was truly a rare sight. "I shall explain it to you. Having created a replica of the Holy Grail after the success of the Three Starting Families, the Mage's Association's 'Lesser Grail', as they call it, is able to serve the same properties as the actual Holy Grail, but to less powerful extent by far. However, while it can only grant trifle wishes and is impossible for it to be a means to reach the Root, when its purpose has been served it gives off an extraordinary amount of magic power that can be harnessed upon granting the winner's wish. The Mage's Association has been carrying out these… Grail Conflicts in secret to supplement their own magic thus far, but the amount of Lesser Grails that could be summoned was limited. This Lesser Grail that will be summoned a week from now will the last that the Mage's Association can produce. As such, there is a need for this one Grail Conflict to be able to provide us with an amount of magical energy that is totally unprecendented."
"But how will you achieve that?" Lord El-Melloi enquired. "If it's nowhere near the power of the true Holy Grail of Fuyuki, it should not be able to accomplish that purpose."
"That's where this particular special case comes in," the curator said with a pleased smile. Producing a photo from his chest pocket, he placed it on the table and showed it to Lord El-Melloi. "This man has made it possible for us to pull off such a feat."
"This man?" Lord El-Melloi would have scoffed at the face of such a man; he grew an untidy stubble and had a rather depraved look, as though he was unable to make a living and had to work his entire life incessantly to make ends meet. "Is he a magus?"
"He is a special case," the curator replied. "His name is Emiya Noritaka, and he is a magus with a Sealing Designation by the Mage's Association. He had been researching on a means to manipulate the Time within living things, which would serve as the main means of accomplishing our goal."
"Will such a mage lend his powers to us?" Lord El-Melloi asked. As a magus with a Sealing Designation, it was unlikely that this man Emiya Noritaka would ever lend a hand to the Mage's Association, especially when the latter was close to being annihilated from the inside.
"He's dead."
The curator's sudden declaration caught Lord El-Melloi off-guard. If such a magus had died, then it would likely to be impossible to continue his research. Unless…
"He was gunned down on an island called the Arimago Islands or whatnot not too long ago," the curator continued nonchalantly. "I would expect it's the work of that Natalia Kaminski; but this time she's helped us. We've confiscated most of Emiya Noritaka's Magic Circuits, and gave an insignificant amount to his heir. With that amount I doubt he'll ever be able to continue his father's research in his place, but we cannot wait for him even if he could. The fruits of Emiya Noritaka's research will finally bloom this time. However, I suppose explaining will not do. I will show you exactly what I mean when it succeeds."
Lord El-Melloi did not press on for more information, not even about a magus being shot down by the likes of a mere gun, instead chose to stare intently at the photo.
"Controlling the innate time of living things…" he muttered. "Emiya Noritaka… truly a formidable and dangerous man…"
"Speaking of heirs, how are you doing on your side?" the curator asked suddenly. "The noble lords of the El-Melloi would require someone to take over soon, I assume?"
"The presumed ninth head of the Archibald family will take my place," Lord El-Melloi replied. "It's only natural; the Archibald family has been in command of the El-Melloi Lords faction for all this time. I believe his name was Kayneth. He's a bright individual with great talent."
"Even at such an age, he's already hailed to be a sure participant in the fourth Holy Grail War, is he not?"
"Indeed. It puts my heart at ease knowing he will succeed me. But I suppose for now I shall settle for the results of this Lesser Grail you speak of instead."
"Very well," the curator said with a wide grin on his face. "You shall not be disappointed."
-
Clock Tower
Reclining in a hammock he built secretly near the window, Hamada Tetsu let out a loud yawn. He had entirely lost track of time, but in reality not more than ten minutes had transpired since he and Ishida walked through the doors of their dorm room.
Ishida, Tetsu and six other of their peers, being childhood friends as well as mages of exceptional talent, were given special treatment by the Clock Tower. They were given one room to themselves, and its size was comparable to a regular apartment unit. Suffice to say, it was sufficient for eight students to live in. It was given to them to practice their magecraft until it was time for their final graduation test.
The graduation test that the eight of them, like the one previous elite mages of the Clock Tower took, was unique only to eight individuals every year. For every member of their group, which one of them affectionately named 'Avifauna', to be chosen together was something akin to a miracle.
Next to Tetsu, Ishida 'Aka' Akatsuki sat with his back to the window, reading a novel. With little knowledge of the mundane human world beyond their own, the mages of Avifauna gave themselves nicknames corresponding to birds that they especially liked. Aka, with the affinity of Wind, was given the nickname 'Falcon'. Tetsu, the 'Flamingo', tried to read over Aka's shoulder but was unsuccessful from his hammock, and gave up with a grumble.
In another corner of the room, playing with a portable gaming device, were Ooyama 'Ran' Ranichi – the Albatross – and Ootei 'Ken' Kenichi – the Mockingbird. While such games were a rarity for mages who devoted themselves to the study of magic, Ran and Ken, the chubby pair would rather spend the whole day playing games indoors than chanting spells. While Ken had the affinity for Earth, Ran's affinity was Lightning and the one magic he devoted the longest time to perfecting was how to recharge his gaming device's battery without its charger.
Watching over their shoulders and occasionally offering advice was Komori 'Maru' Ushimaru, a mage with an affinity for Wood and the nickname Pigeon, which was comical considering he was chubby like Ran and Ken, although about a full one and a half heads shorter. Although not an avid player, he spent a lot of time reading up such games, particularly the 'Beast Hunter' that Ken and Ran were currently playing.
Silently meditating in the middle of the room was the leader of the group, Otonashi Shizuku. A first-class mage in Necromancy, he was always the one who led the team with a calm mind and his sagacity made him a reliable ally. He was given the nickname 'Nightingale', and was almost always silent around anyone save the members of Avifauna.
Hurried footsteps preceded the slamming open of the door. Panting heavily, the final two members of Avifauna arrived.
Morikawa Rei was a well-built boy with short hair and thick spectacles, something that was rather unusual for mages who do not require much, if any, physical strength. His affinity with Water and nickname 'Sparrow' made him a very unique kind of mage, be it in magecraft, physique or personality.
Takahashi 'Hiro' Masahiro was a full head taller than Rei. His eyes looked like they were constantly closed, although they were just small to begin with. His affinity was Fire, and his nickname was the 'Vulture'. He may seem airheaded at times, but he was without a doubt the best fire mage amongst his peers.
"Right," Shizuku spoke up with an air of authority, even though he was merely talking as per normal. This in itself could be said to be a testament of his charisma. "Now that everyone's here, let's begin."
He did not even ask for the reason Hiro and Rei were late. He did not need to hear it. He merely trusted they would definitely come, and now that they have, there was no need to question anything. The degree of trust between the eight of them was something that mages would often never possess, considering the hostility and competition between mages was a norm.
"Today's the last day we'll be spending here in this room, and as a team," he announced. "Today, everyone's going to take their own graduation test, so as a formality I'll wish you all good luck."
"Yeah, ain't no nyan-nyan to need some dumbass luck," Ran said, mimicking a character he read about in a manga.
"I need it," Aka said, shrugging his shoulders. Naturally, he believed himself to need it, being the one with the least self-esteem amongst the eight.
"Says the guy who got top grades in the previous exam for Wind Mages," Ken commented, rolling his eyes.
"In any case," Shizuku continued, as though he had not been interrupted. Instantly, everyone kept quiet and listened to him. "We won't be able to speak of the details of our tests to each other, but I'm sure it won't be that impressive anyhow. When we've beat this farce of a test, let's gather and have Hiro treat us to a meal."
"Yay~ Wait what?" Hiro changed his tone from cheering childishly to blank confusion. Sniggers were heard from the group but quickly died down.
"It's almost time, but does anyone have something to say?" Shizuku asked. He did not believe that further words were necessary since he had absolute confidence that nothing could possibly happen to them, given the mages they were. "If not, you're dismissed."
It was apparent that everyone else shared his views, as no one spoke up. Silently, without even a cheer to spur themselves on, the eight young mages left the room and headed to their designated venues.
-
Clock Tower, Summoning Chamber VIII
Holding his breath, Aka listened to his instructor as he explained the details of his test. Apparently the test was a form of contest called the 'Holy Grail War', and there were several things he had be taught before he could even begin the summoning of his 'Servant', whatever that was.
"Is there anything you wish to confirm with me?" the elderly mage asked. Aka kept silent for a few moments, before shaking his head lightly. "Very well. Now, before we summon your Servant, I need you to sign this."
Producing a scroll of parchment, he passed it to Aka who gingerly received it and read through its contents with wide eyes.
His reaction was only to be expected; the scroll in question was a Geas Scroll, a contract that binds those who form it for all eternity. Even if one was to die after breaking the contract, the magic would bind one's soul even after death. Such a dangerous magic was never presented to students at the Clock Tower.
"Restriction Spell…" Aka read out loud. "Those under this contract shall be unable to harm, or act with the intention to harm, any of the members signed below. But this… is blank, sir."
"Indeed it is," the old mage replied. "That is for you to fill in your name. We will be applying this to the other seven members of your group as well. This is a gift from the Mage's Association with utmost respect for the friendship and trust that you all have displayed."
"With all due respect, sir, I would have to refuse," Aka declined politely, pushing the scroll back to him. "I believe in them, and I'm sure they in me to the same extent, so this is totally unnecessary."
"You are still young, and thus unfamiliar with the workings of our world, young lad," the old mage replied. "This is a world of magic, and it's in your best interests to protect yourself to anyone who wishes to get in the way of your trusted bonds. With the way that the world is falling into chaos now, it is something that we bequeath to you eight to preserve your friendship."
Although he was hardly convinced, after a full thirty minutes of persuasion Aka finally gave in and signed. Still feeling a little uneasy, he got up and followed his teacher into the deeper part of the room, where a magic circle had been intricately drawn on the floor with mercury.
The granite walls, giving off an eerie glow radiating from a few small glowing orbs hovering in the air, made Aka even more uneasy. Not being bothered in the least, the old mage instructor walked to the opposite end of the room, where a velvet box had been placed upon a stone podium. Opening it, he began to speak.
"Your victory in the war is imperative," he began. "Your triumph will reflect well not just on yourself, but on the Wind Mages here at the Clock Tower. As such, I have prepared the perfect catalyst for the summon of the perfect Servant. The only problem is that he cannot be summoned under any regular class, so I need you to recite the additional lines I taught you earlier into the summoning."
"I must confirm one last thing, sir," Aka said suddenly, having being hesitant all the while. "I understand it is the easiest to obtain sure victory by killing the other Masters as well as Servants, but it is also fine not to kill the Master as long as the Servants are killed, correct?"
"Yes, in theory," the old mage replied slowly. "But it is an unspoken rule to not only preserve secrecy of magecraft, but the identity of yourself as a Master once the War begins to the best of your ability. You understand this, yes?"
"… I understand."
"Well then, by all means, proceed with the summoning."
Nodding to himself, Aka stretched out his right hand.
Unknown to Aka, as well as the other seven members of Avifauna, the eight of them had been pulled into the same 'Holy Grail War' where the Masters sought to kill each other. While dying at the hands of another mage was normal for mages, to these young mages it was not something that could be easily done. That was why they were kept from the identity of the other Masters, even though the Mages' Association and the Clock Tower already knew. After all, they were Masters selected by those two parties to fight over not the Holy Grail, but the Lesser Grail they created to supply the Mages' Association with mana without said organizations having to put in much effort.
-
Holy Church
Ootei Kenichi was feeling rather perplexed. He was told that his test involved taking part in the Holy Grail War right here in London, but he was no participant. Instead, his role was to act as the supervisor of the War itself, and, without revealing his identity, mitigate and watch over all the occurrences that transpire throughout the war. Although it was something extremely simple, Ken felt incredibly disappointed.
Heaving a heavy sigh, the Mockingbird walked down the hallways and towards the appointed location to be assigned officially as the Supervisor.
"Good luck, guys," he muttered under his breath.
-
Clock Tower, Summoning Chamber V
"Who're they, sir?"
Expressing his doubts, Shizuku asked apprehensively. His instructor, a woman in her mid-forties, did not even bother looking at him as she replied.
The reason for Shizuku's uncertainty was obvious: on the opposite wall, separated from him by the large summoning circle between them, were a young boy and a young girl, no older than five, each holding a small rat in their hands.
"They've been hypnotized," his instructor finally spoke up, after checking on the magic circle. "Both the children and the rats. Your catalyst," she added, raising her voice to interrupt Shizuku before he could ask his question, "Is slightly different from normal catalysts, which are typically objects. The Servant you will be summoning is someone known for his deeds in his legend. Here, we will replicate that legend so as to draw it in."
"Rats… and children…" Shizuku raked his brain as fast as he could, trying to figure out the true identity of his Servant. "You don't mean-?"
"Bingo," his instructor replied lazily. "Now, get on with it."
-
Clock Tower, various Summoning Chambers
All at once, seven voices, heard by no one but their owners and their instructors, rang out clearly. The chant, exactly the same as the real Holy Grail War almost two centuries ago, reverberated through the callous granite walls.
Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill.
Repeat five times, but destroy each when filled.
A base of Silver and Steel.
A foundation of stone and the Archduke of Contracts.
An ancestor, my great master, Schweinorg.
A wall to block the falling wind.
The gates of all four directions close.
From the Crown, come forth and follow the forked road to the Kingdom.
I hereby propose.
My will shall create thy body,
And thy sword shall create my fate.
Abiding by the summons of the Holy Grail,
If thou dost accede to this will and reason, answer me!
I hereby swear.
I will be all that is good in the eternal world.
I will be the disposer of all that is evil in the eternal world.
-
Clock Tower, Summoning Chamber VIII
Steeling his resolve, Aka chanted the extra line that had been taught to him.
"But let chaos cloud thine eyes," he chanted as the summoning circle in front of him shone brilliantly, as though answering to his words. "Thou, who art trapped in a cage of madness. And I, who doth hold thy chains!"
Clock Tower, several Summoning Chambers
Thou, the seven days clad in the Great Trinity, come forth from the circle of constraint.
Guardian of the Heavenly Scales!
Light erupted from the center of the room, exploding from the mere shine moments before. As the light fades into nothingness, in front of each Master was their own Servant. In that one instant, seven different Heroes were brought forth, transcending time and space into a brand new era.
Without any idea that they had bared their fangs at their own friends, the eight mages entered the Lesser Grail War.
Spoiler! :
British Museum
"So it has begun," Lord El-Melloi said, looking out the windows with his hands behind him.
"Indeed it has," the curator replied in a satisfied tone as he sipped some red wine from a glass on his aged, oak table.
"I noticed that your assistant brought in some very interesting objects earlier," Lord El-Melloi said, his tone suddenly becoming more serious. "Unless I'm very much mistaken, those were Self-Geas Scrolls, and eight in total at that. Would that by any chance…?"
"You assume correct," the curator replied, completely unabashed. "We've told them that the Geas Scroll was going to be a shared contract signed between the eight of them. Well, it's only natural that they did not know, but people can only sign and be bound by the contract after someone has signed it if the people who have signed it are present to begin with."
"So the scrolls effectively prevent them from committing suicide?"
"Correct," the curator twirled the glass in his hands gently, admiring the brilliant crimson sheen within it. "They'll believe that they cannot hurt or act with the intention to hurt their own friends, bound by the contract, but when they are capable of doing so during the war, they'll start to doubt if they are really facing each other. Odds are they'll believe that they are people impersonating as their friends."
"But for Servants like Caster-"
"Naturally, they can tell that such magic was not used if they don't detect any magic energy being given off," the curator cut in impatiently. "However, every one of them was given an official mage's robe courtesy of the Mages' Association. That child who acts as the Supervisor was given official Priest garbs that has the same effects too."
"Effects?" Lord El-Melloi repeated, raising and eyebrow.
"We told them it's the symbol of graduation and helps to amplify their defense and ability of spells," the curator said with a twisted smile while licking his lips. "In reality, it just constantly shrouds itself with magic energy to make it easier to track them via that magic energy, and the magic would confuse Servants into believing that they are cloaking themselves with an appearance-changing spell. Either way, they would end up killing each other for the Grail."
"I cannot say I find that method elegant," Lord El-Melloi said. "While it is inevitable for mages to battle and kill each other, such a boorish means… Well, if it helps to ensure the continued existence and prosperity of the Mages' Association…"
Speaking no more, Lord El-Melloi gazed out the window. Somewhere deep down, he still wished to intervene. But no matter who he was and what values he had, his status as Lord El-Melloi demanded he act in a way befitting a true mage.
Gritting his teeth, the man could do nothing but wait for the events to continue to unfold.
-
Unknown Location
Otonashi Shizuku was in a predicament. His summoning had gone smoothly, and no matter how unlikely it may have seemed he had indeed summoned the Spirit he had been aiming for. Yet, there were a lot of things on his mind.
"Hey, Shizuku."
Staring at the Command Seals on the back of his right hand, Shizuku silently pondered inside his head. From what he read up and from what he was told, Masters were typically given three Command Seals each. However, no matter how one looked at it now, Shizuku had five of those.
"Hey, Master~"
Was there something wrong with the summoning process? No, that should not have been the case. Furthermore, he had been assured that the Three Beginning Families were not participating in the Holy Grail War this time, so sending familiars and so on to spy on their homes was strictly forbidden. How could it be that the Three Beginning Families were excluded from the Holy Grail War which they had started?
"Mas~ter~"
To top it off, his Servant was downright annoying. Walking towards the bathroom where that incessant whining had come from, he slid open the door roughly and gave an irritated glare at the source of his irritation.
"KYAA! Master you pervert!"
A vein was popping in Shizuku's right temple as his eye twitched. It was at times like this that he regretted not having a magic that can deal damage or do torture.
The owner of that shrill voice was a girl with an outward appearance of no older than ten to thirteen. With silky white hair and a delicate frame, she looked like a normal child. This 'normal child', however, was his Servant, Caster.
"What do you want?" Shizuku asked, clearly annoyed. Caster, at her master's lack of playing along, began to pout and pretend to sulk.
"Y-you destroy a maiden's only moment of recluse and have the gall to violate my chastity, without any signs of remorse?" she asked, sobbing as some droplets of real tears began to form in her eyes. "Y-you fiend!"
Even though his anger was approaching its peak, Shizuku could not help but calm down a little at this pitiful sight. Fortunately and yet unfortunately for him, Caster possessed the personal skill 'Charm', which was used with her appearance to reduce any degree of hostility an enemy may have towards her. With a Skill Rank of B, even if the opponent was not interested in women, the charm would, similar to how a spell would, reduce the amount of 'intent to do harm' towards her, or simply reduce the force of their attacks. To a Servant like Caster, who did not specialize in close-range combat, this was a good skill to have.
"Why is the Piper of Hamelin a brat like this…" Shizuku wondered aloud to himself.
That was the true identity of Caster: the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Known for causing the death of 128 children, with the ability to hypnotize rats and people with the music from her mystical pipe, she was described as a man in legends. It was unknown why she materialized as a female, and a little girl at that, but after seeing her Noble Phantasms, Shizuku could not help but recognize her as the genuine Pied Piper.
Shizuku wondered if it was an issue with summoning. His supposed 'catalyst', which consisted of hypnotizing two children and two rats, effectively copied the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, albeit on a smaller scale. Should there be a problem that resulted in this strange form for Caster, the reason was probably that. Not that he could do anything about it now.
"Anyway, what did you want?" he asked. Caster, still covering her chest with her arms, sighed.
"You have no sense of humor," she muttered. "Anyway, the Workshop is set up without a hitch. We can launch an offensive instead of amplifying the protections if you want, though."
With those words, the lighthearted atmosphere instantly froze. Even though nothing else had changed at a glance, but a steady, lurking hostility was pouring over the air. To anyone else, this was definitely unnatural. However, to a magus, it was only natural.
Such was the essence of the Holy Grail War.
-
Unknown Location
Collapsing onto his bed, Ishida 'Aka' Akatsuki almost immediately drifted off to sleep. He was not only just exhausted; he no longer had the energy left to even get up from his bed now.
Immediately after summoning his Servant, Ishida prowled through the city, spending an entire night to mark out possible hiding spots and strategic-looking locations. Unlike the other Masters, who could at least communicate with their Servants, Aka was the Master of Berserker, a Servant completely incapable of helping him in strategizing or just about anything besides combat.
But he could not complain. Given his Berserker's true identity and the Rank A Mad Enhancement he managed to pull off, he had little doubt that even the strongest class, Saber, could defeat him in battle, even without the use of Berserker's Noble Phantasm.
That being said, Berserker only had one Noble Phantasm, and the number of times he could afford to use it was extremely limited. But that was not the major issue right now.
Even with a Rank A Mad Enhancement, which should have turned Berserker into a more mechanical Servant after going through consciousness equalization with his Master, the effects on Berserker that was achieved was about the same as a Class C Mad Enhancement on a regular Servant. In other words, while Aka's Berserker was leagues ahead of the other Servants due to his identity alone, he could be not be controlled effectively because of the same reasons.
Massaging his aching head, Aka slowly drifted off to sleep. Even as he slept, an uncomfortable pricking pain assaulted his body, leaving him unable to rest. It was not a result of over-exertion; it was a form of punishment for summoning the Servant that he did.
Even as he drifted off to sleep, the seething rage of his Servant in spirit form lingered in the room, choking him with its burning hatred.
-
Unknown Location
Takahashi 'Hiro' Masahiro finally calmed down after the fiasco the day before. Sighing to himself, he leaned against the back of his chair as he stared at the blank piece of paper in front of him.
He was still waiting for his Servant to return after scouting the immediate surroundings. Having summoned Assassin, who had the Presence Concealment skill, Hiro could gather as much information as he wanted without the risk of discovery. Especially with his Servant being able to blend in with the crowd of London, he had the advantage to scouting during the day while other Servants had to do battle at night, where people would not spot them. Going by the rule of secrecy, Assassin became the only Servant who could remain active in the day.
Naturally, it was not all that optimistic. Assassin, under his Servant Class, naturally had inferior fighting abilities as compared to the other Servants save Caster. However, the Assassin that Hiro had summoned was a special case who could hold his own to an extent even in head-on combat, albeit not enough to overpower Saber and Berserker. The other problem, however, was with Assassin's identity.
After being summoned, Assassin confirmed Hiro's identity as his Master before proceeding to behead Hiro's instructor, a woman in her mid-forties who was a rather well-respected mage, immediately without warning. Still not getting over the shock, Hiro heaved a heavy sigh.
While he knew that in the world of mages, deaths were a common occurrences in the exchange of mages, but to see someone get sliced to death in the blink of an eye right in front of him was truly something horrifying.
"How did things go?" he asked thin air, as he felt a familiar presence.
Fading into existence from nothing, a man with well-kept hair and a neat black trenchcoat appeared next to the door of the bedroom. Taking off his black hat and placing it on the cloak rack along with his coat, revealing a black suit underneath with a strap slung around his right shoulder. On the strap lay a small sheath holding a delicate dagger.
"I must say, London has become more interesting after my time," Assassin replied with a satisfied smile. The places I loved are no more, but some memorable places still remain. That truly is nostalgic."
"Well, it's been some time since then after all," Hiro replied. After spending an entire night, he had finally come to terms that seeing deaths would be unavoidable, and being who he was, Assassin killing someone was nothing out of the ordinary.
"I must thank you, boy," Assassin said. "This truly feels like an interesting era…"
"Are you going to leave your mark on history again?" Hiro asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, not this time," Assassin replied. "The legend of 'Jack the Ripper' has long since ended. I'll make do with killing the other six Servants, though."
Jack the Ripper. That was the name of the mysterious killer who murdered five women on the streets of London before vanishing forever from the place he terrorized. While his parameters as a Servant were nothing to brag about, having been summoned in London, his parameters all received a considerable boost. While being summoned in Europe alone would have powered him up already, being summoned in the place of his birth made it possible for some of his parameters to rise up to two whole ranks.
"What will you wish for when we win?" Hiro asked. He had no idea what he would wish for, since his entering the war was nothing more than a test, but it certainly was not the same for his Servant.
"Hmm… I wonder," Assassin replied. "I have some ideas, but no actual conclusion as of yet. I suppose I will decide soon. Anyway, there're no Masters around this area, and we can mobilize tonight. What will we do?"
"I'm not worried about your combat abilities, but we won't confront them if possible," Hiro answered. "Let's see how things play out and if it does happen, we'll observe a battle or two and decide what to do from there."
"Very well," Assassin complied. "And should we spotted? Will we run?"
Seeing the smile on his Servant's face, Hiro knew that Jack the Ripper had already anticipated his reply. Sighing exasperatedly, he flashed his Servant as childish smile.
"Why, we'll have no choice but to flat out murder them, of course."
-
Abandoned Church
Ootei 'Ken' Kenichi sighed as he sat alone in the church. It was rather run down and old, but it was not torn down and entry was forbidden with the Holy Church's influence. The purpose of this abandoned church was simply for the supervision of the Lesser Grail War, which Ken and the others perceived to be the actual 'Holy Grail War'.
"How are things thus far?"
Looking up, Ken saw Father Kotomine Risei walking up to him. The man in his mid-fifties had been the Supervisor of the Third Holy Grail War, and was said to assume the same role for the Fourth War as well. Although Ken did not understand why, he had been chosen for that role instead, or so he believed.
"All seven Servants have been summoned," Ken replied. "As per the rules, the identities of the Masters have not been revealed even to me, but the identities of all seven Servants have been recorded. It would be safe to assume that the first battle will begin tonight."
"Very well," Risei nodded, walking towards the exit. "I shall be back then to check on the progress."
Without waiting for a reply, Father Risei left the church. As the wooden doors shut loudly behind him, Ken was left to his own devices in the silence once more.
"… Ah, screw it."
Getting impatient, Ken took out his portable gaming device and started playing his game.
However, he could not get into the game as much as he usually could. He believed it to be because Ran and Maru weren't there, but there was a chill he could not shake.
A chill that told him that even though he was the only person within the church, he was not alone.
-
Seaside
Night had fallen, with the darkness embracing the world and drowning out the sounds of everyday hustle and bustle. The shroud of silence and blackness envelops the buildings and streets, signaling the real start of the Holy Grail War.
As though the darkness had lifted the shackles restraining the wild beasts, seven Master and Servants pairs charged into the night.
By the seaside, a man stood silently gazing out at the endless waters that reflected the lights twinkling above.
He wore armor reminiscent of warriors in the Edo Period of Japan, although he chose to hold his helmet by his side instead of wearing it. He was an old man, looking as though he was well in his seventies, even though he was in fact only in his early sixties. With grey hair tied neatly on the back of his head, he held a long spear in his other hand. Even though he certainly did not seem to be someone suited for fighting, the aura he emanated was stronger than any soldier.
"What brings you to this part of town?"
Without turning to see who had called out to him, the old warrior continued to stare out to sea.
"I could ask the same of you," he said in an aged, raspy voice. "You are certainly not one here for the view."
The person who had spoken to the old man was a much younger man, with dark-red hair flowing messily down his neck and touching his shoulders. While the top of his head had well-kept hair, the lower part and his moustache and stubble made him seem like a much more wild type of person. Wearing a large black cloak with matching pants and a pair of worn, leather shoes, the man stood before the warrior, bold as brass, his hands empty.
"With that spear in hand, you are without a doubt Lancer," he said. "So I suppose it's only polite that I name myself as Archer. Shall we begin?"
"Do not act with so much haste, young one," Lancer replied. "True, as you have said, I am indeed Lancer. But if you truly are a bow-user, should you be standing so close to one who fights with a spear?"
"There is no elegance in killing humans when they are not even prepared for battle," Archer replied. "I would have shot you, had you been a monster and was truly dangerous. Alas, you are not."
"You claim to slay monsters, bow-user?" Lancer asked, still calmly looking ahead. "Then you must have the skills to back up such a title."
"Oh, I believe you will be able to judge that for yourself," Archer replied, flashing Lancer a confident grin.
"Very well," as he said this, Lancer turned for the first time and looked at Archer in the eye. Steadily, he got himself into a fighting stance, the tip of his spear directed at Archer. "Arm yourself, young one. Show me the power of one who slays monsters."
"Don't regret it, old man," Archer warned, reaching into his coat and pulling out a handgun. It was an old fashioned revolver with a dull silver coating and some letters carved onto them: A.V.H. Reaching to his back, he pulled out a wooden crossbow that had been difficult to see in the darkness of the night.
Not too far from his Servant, Komori 'Maru' Ushimaru observed Lancer and his opponent, supposedly Archer. While he could see Lancer's parameters and skills through clairvoyance due to him being a Master, he was unable to see any statuses from Archer. While unsure of the meaning, he decided to focus on assisting Lancer as a priority.
Maru had not sent Lancer to the seaside to attract enemies. Lancer had said that he wanted to see the sea from the seaside with his own eyes, and Maru simply let him. He was extremely confident in Lancer's abilities – and especially his Noble Phantasm – so he did not really bother thinking much about what could happen.
"Well, in any case," he muttered to himself. "Let's kick this guy's ass first."
Far away from the seaside, on the cottage of a beach resort, Ooyama 'Ran' Ranichi used a curious tool called the 'binoculars' to observe the fight going on some distance away.
His Servant, Archer, had been adamant on facing Lancer head-on instead of shooting him from a distance, and Ran gave in rather easily because he simply found his Servant 'cool', 'awesome' and left everything to him.
"It's my personal rule of combat to 'strike first, strike fast and strike fierce'!" he had proudly declared. Chuckling at this, Archer answered thus:
"That is not by any means bad, son, but that is not the essence of a hunt. A true hunter must always grasp the nature of his surroundings and prey before surely going in for the kill. Come, I shall you show first-hand. Now, boy…"
With those words, the well-shaven man brushed back his dark red hair as he got to his feet, walking off towards the seaside. With an odd twinkle in his eyes, he smiled as though eagerly anticipating the unknown awaiting him just beyond the resort. With an air of confidence and excitement, he finished:
"The Hunt is afoot."
-
Seaside
Hidden in the shadow of a breakwater not far from the battle of two Servants, Ishida Akatsuki tried to the best of his ability to set up a barrier around himself and Berserker, currently in spirit form, to hide their presence. Watching the battle unfold by applying an enhancement magic to his eyesight, he observed with bated breath the first fight of the Holy Grail War.
-
Abandoned Church
"Is something the matter, Ootei-shi?"
Responding to Father Risei's question, Ken nodded his head.
"The first battle has begun," he reported. "And the participating Servants are…"
He paused. Standing up, he looked at Father Risei and announced the first pair of combatants.
"… Saber and Rider."
"So it has begun," Lord El-Melloi said, looking out the windows with his hands behind him.
"Indeed it has," the curator replied in a satisfied tone as he sipped some red wine from a glass on his aged, oak table.
"I noticed that your assistant brought in some very interesting objects earlier," Lord El-Melloi said, his tone suddenly becoming more serious. "Unless I'm very much mistaken, those were Self-Geas Scrolls, and eight in total at that. Would that by any chance…?"
"You assume correct," the curator replied, completely unabashed. "We've told them that the Geas Scroll was going to be a shared contract signed between the eight of them. Well, it's only natural that they did not know, but people can only sign and be bound by the contract after someone has signed it if the people who have signed it are present to begin with."
"So the scrolls effectively prevent them from committing suicide?"
"Correct," the curator twirled the glass in his hands gently, admiring the brilliant crimson sheen within it. "They'll believe that they cannot hurt or act with the intention to hurt their own friends, bound by the contract, but when they are capable of doing so during the war, they'll start to doubt if they are really facing each other. Odds are they'll believe that they are people impersonating as their friends."
"But for Servants like Caster-"
"Naturally, they can tell that such magic was not used if they don't detect any magic energy being given off," the curator cut in impatiently. "However, every one of them was given an official mage's robe courtesy of the Mages' Association. That child who acts as the Supervisor was given official Priest garbs that has the same effects too."
"Effects?" Lord El-Melloi repeated, raising and eyebrow.
"We told them it's the symbol of graduation and helps to amplify their defense and ability of spells," the curator said with a twisted smile while licking his lips. "In reality, it just constantly shrouds itself with magic energy to make it easier to track them via that magic energy, and the magic would confuse Servants into believing that they are cloaking themselves with an appearance-changing spell. Either way, they would end up killing each other for the Grail."
"I cannot say I find that method elegant," Lord El-Melloi said. "While it is inevitable for mages to battle and kill each other, such a boorish means… Well, if it helps to ensure the continued existence and prosperity of the Mages' Association…"
Speaking no more, Lord El-Melloi gazed out the window. Somewhere deep down, he still wished to intervene. But no matter who he was and what values he had, his status as Lord El-Melloi demanded he act in a way befitting a true mage.
Gritting his teeth, the man could do nothing but wait for the events to continue to unfold.
-
Unknown Location
Otonashi Shizuku was in a predicament. His summoning had gone smoothly, and no matter how unlikely it may have seemed he had indeed summoned the Spirit he had been aiming for. Yet, there were a lot of things on his mind.
"Hey, Shizuku."
Staring at the Command Seals on the back of his right hand, Shizuku silently pondered inside his head. From what he read up and from what he was told, Masters were typically given three Command Seals each. However, no matter how one looked at it now, Shizuku had five of those.
"Hey, Master~"
Was there something wrong with the summoning process? No, that should not have been the case. Furthermore, he had been assured that the Three Beginning Families were not participating in the Holy Grail War this time, so sending familiars and so on to spy on their homes was strictly forbidden. How could it be that the Three Beginning Families were excluded from the Holy Grail War which they had started?
"Mas~ter~"
To top it off, his Servant was downright annoying. Walking towards the bathroom where that incessant whining had come from, he slid open the door roughly and gave an irritated glare at the source of his irritation.
"KYAA! Master you pervert!"
A vein was popping in Shizuku's right temple as his eye twitched. It was at times like this that he regretted not having a magic that can deal damage or do torture.
The owner of that shrill voice was a girl with an outward appearance of no older than ten to thirteen. With silky white hair and a delicate frame, she looked like a normal child. This 'normal child', however, was his Servant, Caster.
"What do you want?" Shizuku asked, clearly annoyed. Caster, at her master's lack of playing along, began to pout and pretend to sulk.
"Y-you destroy a maiden's only moment of recluse and have the gall to violate my chastity, without any signs of remorse?" she asked, sobbing as some droplets of real tears began to form in her eyes. "Y-you fiend!"
Even though his anger was approaching its peak, Shizuku could not help but calm down a little at this pitiful sight. Fortunately and yet unfortunately for him, Caster possessed the personal skill 'Charm', which was used with her appearance to reduce any degree of hostility an enemy may have towards her. With a Skill Rank of B, even if the opponent was not interested in women, the charm would, similar to how a spell would, reduce the amount of 'intent to do harm' towards her, or simply reduce the force of their attacks. To a Servant like Caster, who did not specialize in close-range combat, this was a good skill to have.
"Why is the Piper of Hamelin a brat like this…" Shizuku wondered aloud to himself.
That was the true identity of Caster: the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Known for causing the death of 128 children, with the ability to hypnotize rats and people with the music from her mystical pipe, she was described as a man in legends. It was unknown why she materialized as a female, and a little girl at that, but after seeing her Noble Phantasms, Shizuku could not help but recognize her as the genuine Pied Piper.
Shizuku wondered if it was an issue with summoning. His supposed 'catalyst', which consisted of hypnotizing two children and two rats, effectively copied the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, albeit on a smaller scale. Should there be a problem that resulted in this strange form for Caster, the reason was probably that. Not that he could do anything about it now.
"Anyway, what did you want?" he asked. Caster, still covering her chest with her arms, sighed.
"You have no sense of humor," she muttered. "Anyway, the Workshop is set up without a hitch. We can launch an offensive instead of amplifying the protections if you want, though."
With those words, the lighthearted atmosphere instantly froze. Even though nothing else had changed at a glance, but a steady, lurking hostility was pouring over the air. To anyone else, this was definitely unnatural. However, to a magus, it was only natural.
Such was the essence of the Holy Grail War.
-
Unknown Location
Collapsing onto his bed, Ishida 'Aka' Akatsuki almost immediately drifted off to sleep. He was not only just exhausted; he no longer had the energy left to even get up from his bed now.
Immediately after summoning his Servant, Ishida prowled through the city, spending an entire night to mark out possible hiding spots and strategic-looking locations. Unlike the other Masters, who could at least communicate with their Servants, Aka was the Master of Berserker, a Servant completely incapable of helping him in strategizing or just about anything besides combat.
But he could not complain. Given his Berserker's true identity and the Rank A Mad Enhancement he managed to pull off, he had little doubt that even the strongest class, Saber, could defeat him in battle, even without the use of Berserker's Noble Phantasm.
That being said, Berserker only had one Noble Phantasm, and the number of times he could afford to use it was extremely limited. But that was not the major issue right now.
Even with a Rank A Mad Enhancement, which should have turned Berserker into a more mechanical Servant after going through consciousness equalization with his Master, the effects on Berserker that was achieved was about the same as a Class C Mad Enhancement on a regular Servant. In other words, while Aka's Berserker was leagues ahead of the other Servants due to his identity alone, he could be not be controlled effectively because of the same reasons.
Massaging his aching head, Aka slowly drifted off to sleep. Even as he slept, an uncomfortable pricking pain assaulted his body, leaving him unable to rest. It was not a result of over-exertion; it was a form of punishment for summoning the Servant that he did.
Even as he drifted off to sleep, the seething rage of his Servant in spirit form lingered in the room, choking him with its burning hatred.
-
Unknown Location
Takahashi 'Hiro' Masahiro finally calmed down after the fiasco the day before. Sighing to himself, he leaned against the back of his chair as he stared at the blank piece of paper in front of him.
He was still waiting for his Servant to return after scouting the immediate surroundings. Having summoned Assassin, who had the Presence Concealment skill, Hiro could gather as much information as he wanted without the risk of discovery. Especially with his Servant being able to blend in with the crowd of London, he had the advantage to scouting during the day while other Servants had to do battle at night, where people would not spot them. Going by the rule of secrecy, Assassin became the only Servant who could remain active in the day.
Naturally, it was not all that optimistic. Assassin, under his Servant Class, naturally had inferior fighting abilities as compared to the other Servants save Caster. However, the Assassin that Hiro had summoned was a special case who could hold his own to an extent even in head-on combat, albeit not enough to overpower Saber and Berserker. The other problem, however, was with Assassin's identity.
After being summoned, Assassin confirmed Hiro's identity as his Master before proceeding to behead Hiro's instructor, a woman in her mid-forties who was a rather well-respected mage, immediately without warning. Still not getting over the shock, Hiro heaved a heavy sigh.
While he knew that in the world of mages, deaths were a common occurrences in the exchange of mages, but to see someone get sliced to death in the blink of an eye right in front of him was truly something horrifying.
"How did things go?" he asked thin air, as he felt a familiar presence.
Fading into existence from nothing, a man with well-kept hair and a neat black trenchcoat appeared next to the door of the bedroom. Taking off his black hat and placing it on the cloak rack along with his coat, revealing a black suit underneath with a strap slung around his right shoulder. On the strap lay a small sheath holding a delicate dagger.
"I must say, London has become more interesting after my time," Assassin replied with a satisfied smile. The places I loved are no more, but some memorable places still remain. That truly is nostalgic."
"Well, it's been some time since then after all," Hiro replied. After spending an entire night, he had finally come to terms that seeing deaths would be unavoidable, and being who he was, Assassin killing someone was nothing out of the ordinary.
"I must thank you, boy," Assassin said. "This truly feels like an interesting era…"
"Are you going to leave your mark on history again?" Hiro asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, not this time," Assassin replied. "The legend of 'Jack the Ripper' has long since ended. I'll make do with killing the other six Servants, though."
Jack the Ripper. That was the name of the mysterious killer who murdered five women on the streets of London before vanishing forever from the place he terrorized. While his parameters as a Servant were nothing to brag about, having been summoned in London, his parameters all received a considerable boost. While being summoned in Europe alone would have powered him up already, being summoned in the place of his birth made it possible for some of his parameters to rise up to two whole ranks.
"What will you wish for when we win?" Hiro asked. He had no idea what he would wish for, since his entering the war was nothing more than a test, but it certainly was not the same for his Servant.
"Hmm… I wonder," Assassin replied. "I have some ideas, but no actual conclusion as of yet. I suppose I will decide soon. Anyway, there're no Masters around this area, and we can mobilize tonight. What will we do?"
"I'm not worried about your combat abilities, but we won't confront them if possible," Hiro answered. "Let's see how things play out and if it does happen, we'll observe a battle or two and decide what to do from there."
"Very well," Assassin complied. "And should we spotted? Will we run?"
Seeing the smile on his Servant's face, Hiro knew that Jack the Ripper had already anticipated his reply. Sighing exasperatedly, he flashed his Servant as childish smile.
"Why, we'll have no choice but to flat out murder them, of course."
-
Abandoned Church
Ootei 'Ken' Kenichi sighed as he sat alone in the church. It was rather run down and old, but it was not torn down and entry was forbidden with the Holy Church's influence. The purpose of this abandoned church was simply for the supervision of the Lesser Grail War, which Ken and the others perceived to be the actual 'Holy Grail War'.
"How are things thus far?"
Looking up, Ken saw Father Kotomine Risei walking up to him. The man in his mid-fifties had been the Supervisor of the Third Holy Grail War, and was said to assume the same role for the Fourth War as well. Although Ken did not understand why, he had been chosen for that role instead, or so he believed.
"All seven Servants have been summoned," Ken replied. "As per the rules, the identities of the Masters have not been revealed even to me, but the identities of all seven Servants have been recorded. It would be safe to assume that the first battle will begin tonight."
"Very well," Risei nodded, walking towards the exit. "I shall be back then to check on the progress."
Without waiting for a reply, Father Risei left the church. As the wooden doors shut loudly behind him, Ken was left to his own devices in the silence once more.
"… Ah, screw it."
Getting impatient, Ken took out his portable gaming device and started playing his game.
However, he could not get into the game as much as he usually could. He believed it to be because Ran and Maru weren't there, but there was a chill he could not shake.
A chill that told him that even though he was the only person within the church, he was not alone.
-
Seaside
Night had fallen, with the darkness embracing the world and drowning out the sounds of everyday hustle and bustle. The shroud of silence and blackness envelops the buildings and streets, signaling the real start of the Holy Grail War.
As though the darkness had lifted the shackles restraining the wild beasts, seven Master and Servants pairs charged into the night.
By the seaside, a man stood silently gazing out at the endless waters that reflected the lights twinkling above.
He wore armor reminiscent of warriors in the Edo Period of Japan, although he chose to hold his helmet by his side instead of wearing it. He was an old man, looking as though he was well in his seventies, even though he was in fact only in his early sixties. With grey hair tied neatly on the back of his head, he held a long spear in his other hand. Even though he certainly did not seem to be someone suited for fighting, the aura he emanated was stronger than any soldier.
"What brings you to this part of town?"
Without turning to see who had called out to him, the old warrior continued to stare out to sea.
"I could ask the same of you," he said in an aged, raspy voice. "You are certainly not one here for the view."
The person who had spoken to the old man was a much younger man, with dark-red hair flowing messily down his neck and touching his shoulders. While the top of his head had well-kept hair, the lower part and his moustache and stubble made him seem like a much more wild type of person. Wearing a large black cloak with matching pants and a pair of worn, leather shoes, the man stood before the warrior, bold as brass, his hands empty.
"With that spear in hand, you are without a doubt Lancer," he said. "So I suppose it's only polite that I name myself as Archer. Shall we begin?"
"Do not act with so much haste, young one," Lancer replied. "True, as you have said, I am indeed Lancer. But if you truly are a bow-user, should you be standing so close to one who fights with a spear?"
"There is no elegance in killing humans when they are not even prepared for battle," Archer replied. "I would have shot you, had you been a monster and was truly dangerous. Alas, you are not."
"You claim to slay monsters, bow-user?" Lancer asked, still calmly looking ahead. "Then you must have the skills to back up such a title."
"Oh, I believe you will be able to judge that for yourself," Archer replied, flashing Lancer a confident grin.
"Very well," as he said this, Lancer turned for the first time and looked at Archer in the eye. Steadily, he got himself into a fighting stance, the tip of his spear directed at Archer. "Arm yourself, young one. Show me the power of one who slays monsters."
"Don't regret it, old man," Archer warned, reaching into his coat and pulling out a handgun. It was an old fashioned revolver with a dull silver coating and some letters carved onto them: A.V.H. Reaching to his back, he pulled out a wooden crossbow that had been difficult to see in the darkness of the night.
Not too far from his Servant, Komori 'Maru' Ushimaru observed Lancer and his opponent, supposedly Archer. While he could see Lancer's parameters and skills through clairvoyance due to him being a Master, he was unable to see any statuses from Archer. While unsure of the meaning, he decided to focus on assisting Lancer as a priority.
Maru had not sent Lancer to the seaside to attract enemies. Lancer had said that he wanted to see the sea from the seaside with his own eyes, and Maru simply let him. He was extremely confident in Lancer's abilities – and especially his Noble Phantasm – so he did not really bother thinking much about what could happen.
"Well, in any case," he muttered to himself. "Let's kick this guy's ass first."
Far away from the seaside, on the cottage of a beach resort, Ooyama 'Ran' Ranichi used a curious tool called the 'binoculars' to observe the fight going on some distance away.
His Servant, Archer, had been adamant on facing Lancer head-on instead of shooting him from a distance, and Ran gave in rather easily because he simply found his Servant 'cool', 'awesome' and left everything to him.
"It's my personal rule of combat to 'strike first, strike fast and strike fierce'!" he had proudly declared. Chuckling at this, Archer answered thus:
"That is not by any means bad, son, but that is not the essence of a hunt. A true hunter must always grasp the nature of his surroundings and prey before surely going in for the kill. Come, I shall you show first-hand. Now, boy…"
With those words, the well-shaven man brushed back his dark red hair as he got to his feet, walking off towards the seaside. With an odd twinkle in his eyes, he smiled as though eagerly anticipating the unknown awaiting him just beyond the resort. With an air of confidence and excitement, he finished:
"The Hunt is afoot."
-
Seaside
Hidden in the shadow of a breakwater not far from the battle of two Servants, Ishida Akatsuki tried to the best of his ability to set up a barrier around himself and Berserker, currently in spirit form, to hide their presence. Watching the battle unfold by applying an enhancement magic to his eyesight, he observed with bated breath the first fight of the Holy Grail War.
-
Abandoned Church
"Is something the matter, Ootei-shi?"
Responding to Father Risei's question, Ken nodded his head.
"The first battle has begun," he reported. "And the participating Servants are…"
He paused. Standing up, he looked at Father Risei and announced the first pair of combatants.
"… Saber and Rider."
