"Fou♪~Fofou♪~Fouu♪~Fofofouuu♪~"
Right now, Fou was swimming beyond Fuyuki, across the sea, feeling freedom.
It was truly a tale of traveling the world.
He traveled the world while thinking, 'Fou….(But what will happen if I appear in the French Holy Grail War? Speaking of which, I don't even know where Jeanne d'Arc is. If I just wander around the French plains, wouldn't she appear?)'
Occasionally, he would be spotted by people, act like a cat to procure food directly, and sometimes almost get caught by people kidnapping animals. But in the process of handling it with a 2% output of Primordial Murder, he also rescued innocent animals.
Well, in the process, he had to avoid killing people, so he just knocked them unconscious and escaped.
And so, Fou, who arrived in France, ran across the plains, watching a new journey…. and reportedly got bored.
In the end, he ended up wandering the world...
============
London
"El-Melloi, where has your teacher gone?"
Three people were gathered. One was an old man. His body was small, but his back was straight, and the wrinkles on his face had a luster like a wooden sculpture.
He was the Department Head of Summoning, Roche Belpheban. There's a rumor that he's been in office for over 50 years since becoming Department Head, but it wasn't certain.
"My teacher is currently postponing the path of a magus and focusing on love.... For reference, I would appreciate it if you called me Lord El-Melloi II."
"Ahem, still young.... Anyway, understood."
"Anyway, let's move on to the main point."
The Department Head nodded as if agreeing with Lord El-Melloi II's words.
"The victor of the 4th Holy Grail War. Akira... Unlike being a magus, he is an ordinary person, but he possesses an ability close to True Name Discernment, seeing through the names of heroic spirits. He also seems to have considerable knowledge about the Holy Grail War. We wanted to designate him for a Sealing Designation, but we couldn't move on uncertain information. When the 5th Holy Grail War became known, we dispatched Bazett. Afterwards, she said she was in a temporary alliance situation while monitoring him."
At those words, El-Melloi just looked at the Department Head, seemingly surprised.
He had also investigated briefly, so he already knew, but the 4th and 5th Wars were as different as heaven and earth, proving how peaceful the latter was.
Since that happened due to the influence of an individual, it was natural for magi to be wary.
He had no wish or anything, and was a person who even denied the wishes of Servants. But in the process, he briefly recalled the figure of Iskandar.
"You investigated that far?"
"According to Bazett, he seemed to have sensed the French Holy Grail War in advance. But it's not the French Holy Grail War, it's the Romanian Holy Grail War. It seems he's neither omnipotent nor almighty after all."
"I see."
"And the Romanian Holy Grail War has become known. In the process, only one person returned."
"...Well. We'll have no choice but to change our policy. We've lost 49 magi now, and only one survived, but they won't be of use for the time being."
They organized 50 magi and meticulously planned their operation. But that situation was completely twisted due to a single familiar.
As a result, 49 magi died, and one barely managed to counterattack at the end.
"Thanks to that, we also have a chance for revenge. If we can gather seven Masters, we have a chance of winning too."
"Then, who will go? Sending mediocre magi would just get them defeated. Trifas is their territory, isn't it?"
After a brief silence, Lord El-Melloi II spoke in a calm tone.
"Then, we'll have to hire external magi. This Holy Grail War is an unprecedented, massive scale unlike anything we've experienced before. Of course, the Clock Tower will also have to contribute one or two people."
At those words, the two others nodded as if agreeing with Lord El-Melloi II.
Selecting seven Masters was a given, but considering the importance of a magus's skill in the process, hiring external magi was indeed better.
But if they die in the Holy Grail War, it would mean losing talent from the magus's perspective, so they had no choice but to judge that external hiring was suitable.
"Then El-Melloi II and I will gather those we've marked. The remaining one will have to be requested from the Holy Church. To show our legitimacy, we must get them to participate."
"Then, I will take charge of selecting the holy relics. It's urgent, but let's somehow gather catalysts that can provide a balanced, watchable military force."
The Department Head declared, tapping the floor with his cane.
"This is different in every aspect from the Fuyuki 4th and 5th Holy Grail Wars taking place in the world today. Considering only the scale, a war of a different, larger scale will occur, separate from the Holy Grail Wars that happened in Fuyuki. I urge both of you to tighten your resolve and make them properly regret tarnishing the Clock Tower's honor."
And so, without even exchanging glances, the three walked off in their respective directions. The Department Head watched the materials on Akira and his Servants and muttered to himself.
"If he participates too…, it will become a great war of 21 Servants and incarnated Servants…. Well, I'm not so leisurely as to worry about this, but I am worried about this Holy Grail War…."
===============
On the night before the start of World War II with Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland, the third Holy Grail War was held in Fuyuki City, Japan. The seven Servants and seven Masters tried to kill each other until only one remained for their wish, for their final wish. But during the war, the Lesser Grail broke, an accident occurred. The Holy Grail War itself ended awkwardly at that point, but the problem was what happened afterward.
The Greater Grail, a omnipotent wish-granting device hidden in a cave on Mount Enzō, was discovered. Through an alliance between Nazi Germany and a certain magus, the Greater Grail was transported. The three families—Einzbern, Tohsaka, and Makiri—fought desperately to stop it but failed, losing the Greater Grail. They repaired the Lesser Grail for the next Holy Grail War and challenged the Fuyuki Holy Grail War again. In the process, there was a curse containing malice, but it's said no one knew about it at the time.
Overwhelmed by the military power of Nazi Germany, the three families had no choice but to give up the Greater Grail. As the whereabouts of the Greater Grail became ambiguous, they judged it right to create a Grail again and continue the confrontation, carrying on the Fuyuki Holy Grail War.
And Germany lost the Greater Grail during transport for unknown reasons.
In the process, those who knew about the Greater Grail also disappeared. The magus named [Yggdmillennia], who was in an alliance with Germany, also went missing, concluding the matter. But as time passed.
On May 20, 2004, he appeared again, and the Greater Grail appeared with him.
Afterwards, he betrayed the Mage's Association and declared the organization's independence.
The enraged Mage's Association sent assassins, but they were annihilated by the Servants he summoned.
But they also had an opportunity.
That was to participate in the Holy Grail War.
And by summoning Servants, it would become a 7 vs. 7 battle structure.
In the process, a Ruler would also be summoned.
=================
Place du Vieux-Marché in Rouen.
The curses were like a song from a faraway land, not particularly bothersome.
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It wasn't that there was no pain, but it wasn't unbearable pain.
There wasn't much fear either.
Things like pity or regret hadn't returned since she decided to fight and left them behind.
She walked straight because she didn't want to be dragged.
She unconsciously touched her chest, but the cross had already been taken.
It was a little sad to have nothing to cling to, but as she thought that, an Englishman ran up and respectfully offered a wooden cross that seemed to be made on the spot. She quietly told him thank you.
He shed tears and knelt.
There were those cursing, but there were also people crying for her.
If the curses were a song from a faraway land, then by comparison, these were like a mother's lullaby.
Her hands were tied behind her back to a higher wooden post, bound quite tightly so they would never come loose.
She had no intention of resisting anyway, and thought she couldn't run away after coming this far.
As soon as the priest finished reading the final verdict, a torch was thrown, burning her feet with a sizzle.
For those who believe losing the flesh is the greatest fear, this must be the harshest punishment.
The flames burned her skin, seared her flesh, and incinerated her bones.
Over and over, she called out the names of the Lord and the Holy Mother.
Your prayers are false.
She was impeached several times, heard such curses several times.
But there is no falsehood or truth in prayer.
Prayer is just prayer, and its essence cannot change depending on whom one prays to.
She wanted to convey that, but no words came from her throat.
Suddenly appearing before her eyes were scenes of the past: an innocent village and an ordinary family, and the foolish self who cast them aside and ran.
Surely, it might have been foolish, but she had decided to save her homeland at the voice of God, and in the process, she could save even one more life, so she had no regrets.
At the age of 18, she could have lived a beautiful life, but for 2 years she wandered the battlefield, saving lives before her eyes and saving her homeland.
As a result, she was branded a witch for denying God's word, but God was not at fault.
All the choices were made by herself, and she knew better than anyone that it would come to this conclusion.
That's why, in the burning execution ground, the girl only prayed.
Lord, I entrust this body to you.
The final words. Her consciousness was cut off, and she was liberated from all pain.
The girl's dream ended, and reality peeked its face.
But it did not end.
The girl's dream had clearly ended, but the maiden's dream was just beginning.
Search initiated.
Search terminated.
1 match found.
Physique suitable.
Spirit suitable.
Lineage suitable.
Personality suitable.
Magical energy suitable.
Initiate temporary personality sealing due to possession and insertion of heroic spirit's spirit.
Obtain consent of original personality.
Initiate preservation of host's separate domain.
Spirit insertion completed, initiate work to harmonize physique and spirit.
Initiate granting of Class Skills.
Initiate insertion of all heroic spirit information and necessary information up to the current year.
Terminate separate domain preservation.
Terminate granting of Class Skills.
Select Skill [Saint] creation of holy shroud.
Necessary information insertion completed.
Harmonization work terminated.
All processes completed.
Servant Class Ruler materialization completed.
And so, the girl opened her eyes.
It was an unusual summoning method.
A summoning with such a weak connection to materialization had no precedent in the past either. Was it because this Holy Grail War, called the Great Holy Grail War, was so abnormal?
She could see a French girl who resembled her so much it wouldn't be strange to call her a possessing Servant.
There was also a feeling of having usurped a living body, but since the girl consented, it was less so. In the process, she also possessed most of the French girl's memories. What should she say? It was a feeling of so-called multiple personalities where two personalities reside in one body, but it was more accurate to say the personalities had merged into one.
"…… I will borrow this body for a while, Laeticia."
The girl spoke the original owner's name.
She shook the friend beside her to wake her up.
Then, the friend rubbed her sleepy eyes and woke up.
"Uhh…, why?"
Feeling sorry for waking her with such a sleepy voice, the girl spoke clearly.
"Starting today, I will be away from here for a while."
"Okay, goodbye…. z z z?"
And then the friend kicked off the blanket and got up.
"What are you talking about!?"
"I'm sorry it's so sudden. But I have no time, so I have no choice."
"No, I don't understand what you mean by having time or not! It's too out of the blue! Why would such a statement come right after saying 'Sleep well, see you tomorrow'!"
To the friend shouting in confusion, the girl, with a serious expression, conveyed that [it was a long journey], [it was a necessary journey], and [there was no need to worry].
The friend listened with a blank expression for a moment, but soon nodded as if convinced.
"Okay, I guess it can't be helped. If it's necessary, I can't stop you, right?"
"Yes, I'll explain it to the teacher before I go."
"Okay, ……yawn…, then have a safe trip, Laeticia."
"Yes, sleep well."
And so, the girl informed her teacher and classmates that she was going on a trip and made them understand it was a necessary journey.
Although it was somewhat forced, the girl said it was unavoidable and chased away distracting thoughts with a sigh.
Fortunately, the original owner of this body lived in a student dormitory, so she was far from her parents. If it's a trip of at most a month, it probably won't become known.
Packing necessary clothes, her passport, and textbooks into a bag, the girl left the dormitory behind. The borrowed body's owner, Laeticia, was still a student. The girl, who was from the countryside, had never had a chance to learn to read or write, so she couldn't help but feel a strange mood about acquiring knowledge of the modern language and information from the Grail.
"Even so, there's a limit to how abnormal this is…."
Originally, she should have been summoned in the form of materializing in the city that would become the battlefield, like a normal Servant, without needing to borrow someone else's body.
But this Holy Grail War was abnormal, summoning her in the form of possessing someone else's body. And the location was France, her homeland and where traces of her past remained.
And since the girl resembled her when she was alive, it felt so much like a second life that it wasn't unnatural. It felt somewhat familiar, making it all the more absurd.
Without a Master, she became the absolute supervisor of the Holy Grail War. Jeanne d'Arc, Class [Ruler], went to the airport and flew to Bucharest, Romania.
And in the process, as Akira's Holy Grail War information was updated, he and his incarnated Servants would participate in the Great Holy Grail War…
Meanwhile, Jeanne d'Arc had little time left before realizing this process…
"Fou?"
"……. Primordial Murder?"
It's said that Jeanne d'Arc, who met Fou on the way, looked at him with a bewildered expression and had no choice but to take him along.
Because, in the end…. It was what Fou decided? It was reportedly an unavoidable event.
And so, it's said that Jeanne d'Arc, also Laeticia's head, became Fou's nest?