Shhh—!!
Wind and snow battered the glass, rattling wooden windows.
In Western Europe, amid snow-covered mountains, lay a secluded estate belonging to the Einzbern family.
Germany, Einzbern Castle.
Snowflakes drifted lazily from the sky. In the vast courtyard, two figures—one small, one large—chased each other.
"Kiritsugu, catch me!"
A girl, nimble as a snow sprite, darted between buildings, blending into the snow.
Behind her, Emiya Kiritsugu played along.
A calm before the storm, a rare moment of leisure before heading to battle. He wanted to spend it with his daughter.
"Hmm." Nearby, a blonde woman in the snow sipped coffee, her eyes lighting up, her ahoge swaying happily.
"Coffee… an interesting flavor. Not as sweet as Merlin's floral tea, but quite delicious. Modern cuisine has advanced so much."
Her voice was clear and mature. As she spoke, Kiritsugu, having handed his daughter to his wife, approached.
"The Holy Grail War is near. Are you ready, Saber?"
He greeted the Servant he'd recently summoned.
"Of course. From the moment I answered your call, I was prepared to fight."
She nodded solemnly.
A strikingly beautiful woman—golden hair, emerald eyes, clad in a blue gown. Though petite, her battle-hardened aura was undiminished.
Known as the King of Knights, King Arthur, Artoria Pendragon.
The wielder of the holy sword, guardian of Human Order.
Most summoning such a powerful Servant would be ecstatic, proclaiming, "It's in the bag!"—setting all sorts of flags.
In the Holy Grail War, stronger Heroic Spirits held greater advantages. With the optimal Saber class and worldwide fame, Artoria was among the strongest.
Yet, Kiritsugu, her summoner, felt no such joy.
Though he knew her strength was top-tier, their compatibility? They were like mismatched partners forced together.
"…"
Kiritsugu nodded silently to Artoria.
A king who saved Britannia in crisis, guarding Camelot for decades—a noble, radiant figure.
Compared to someone like him, she was almost blinding.
He squinted, shaking his head inwardly.
No need to confirm—he knew they'd have no synergy.
In war, without mutual understanding, even the greatest strength was futile.
For a moment, he resented Jubstacheit for ordering him to summon Artoria. A filthy man like him might've been better suited to an Assassin.
Suppressing his thoughts, Kiritsugu sighed deeply.
Winning this Holy Grail War would rely on him alone.
...
The warm moment didn't last.
After spending time with his daughter and entrusting her to Irisviel, Kiritsugu led Artoria to a secluded room, his face turning serious. He glanced at his Saber on the sofa and spoke.
"Saber, I hate to interrupt your rare return, but the Holy Grail War isn't a game. Tactical coordination and preparation are crucial. You understand, right?"
"Of course, Master. While filling my stomach and building energy is part of preparation, I'm a knight before a king. I know what's at stake."
Artoria nodded, her tone earnest. "So, Master, what's your plan? How's the intelligence gathering going?"
"…"
Seeing her cooperation, Kiritsugu nodded, pleased.
Their compatibility might be poor, but Artoria was an exceptional Servant—not arrogant or disobedient like some ancient heroes in Einzbern records.
"The plan remains as discussed. Irisviel, with her superior magecraft, will act as your public Master, providing support. I'll stay in the shadows, gathering intel and assisting."
Kiritsugu nodded, opening a secure laptop, projecting encrypted files onto the room's wall. Irisviel, having put Illya to bed, appeared behind him, curiously eyeing the projected documents.
"With everyone here, let's begin. First—the magus once called the Grand Puppeter, who revived medieval puppet magecraft and Nordic Rune magecraft, earning the Clock Tower's highest rank, [Grand]—Aozaki Touko."
With Irisviel present, Kiritsugu analyzed recent events and gathered intel.
"Two months ago, under the guise of a visit between Magic heirs, she forced her way into the Einzbern estate. Claiming academic exchange, she seized some homunculi and broke into the archives, taking data on the Third Holy Grail War."
Mentioning that nightmarish woman, Kiritsugu's cigarette-holding fingers trembled. That battle two months ago left a heavy mark.
Back then, without his Servant, he faced her with homunculi and weapons, backed by his assistant.
He thought, on Einzbern turf, with his honed skills and secret weapons, even a Grand puppeteer wasn't to be feared.
But Touko demonstrated what [Grand] truly meant—the pinnacle of magecraft.
Her homunculi were mere puppets, subdued and dissected in moments, their tech tampered with, rendered useless.
His trump card, the Origin Bullet, became a joke.
To his shock, Touko knew his magecraft intimately. She'd anticipated his Origin Bullet, wearing rune-enhanced military body armor. Without most of its propellant force, the bullet couldn't penetrate, leaving Kiritsugu fleeing in disgrace.
The ever-meticulous Kiritsugu was baffled. How had his Origin Bullet's secret leaked? And to Touko, of all people?
"Aozaki Touko… Aozaki, Japanern family tied to the Fifth Magic. This generation's Magician of the Fifth Magic is her sister, Aoko, granted the color [Blue]."
"Touko, due to her sister's status, didn't receive [Blue] but was granted [Red]. Her title is…"
"Don't say that title, Irisviel!!"
"Eh?"
Kiritsugu frantically stopped his wife, glancing around nervously, fearing a red figure might burst in to kill them.
His extreme reaction startled Irisviel and Artoria.
"What's wrong, Master? Is this Aozaki Touko truly so terrifying?" Artoria asked, curious at Kiritsugu's pale face.
Having faced her, Kiritsugu, sweating coldly, explained, "Saber, as a hero of old, you wouldn't know, but Irisviel, remember: that title is a magecraft taboo, a name never to be uttered, anywhere, anytime."
"Oh… okay."
Unsure why Kiritsugu was so rattled, Irisviel nodded obediently.
He couldn't explain much to his naive wife.
Know this: any magus who dared speak those four words, if Touko learned of it, was as good as dead. Even Clock Tower Lords avoided crossing the Grand puppeteer. Who wouldn't fear someone who, upon death, could revive in a new body elsewhere? Not everyone was the Magician of the Fifth Magic.
For Kiritsugu, this time, he had to be fully prepared—they might face Touko in the Holy Grail War.
Though he saw no Command Seals on her, her intrusion and theft of Third War data suggested a deep connection to the Grail.
Uncertain, they had to prepare thoroughly for battle.
Touko's nightmarish figure lingered in his mind. Kiritsugu sighed, glancing at Artoria, quietly eating pastries beside Irisviel.
No matter their poor compatibility, against a monster like Touko, his only reliance was this legendary King Arthur.
The fabled king, holy sword bearer, radiant figure—don't let me down…
After reviewing his intel, Kiritsugu stepped out, using a satellite phone to call his assistant on a mission.
Maiya was smuggling weapons into Fuyuki for the war.
Beep-beep-beep—!!
After a brief dial tone, the call connected.
"Kiritsugu?"
Maiya's voice held a hint of joy at his familiar number.
"Maiya, how's the transfer of the arms I ordered?"
"Don't worry, they're en route. They'll reach our Fuyuki base in a few days."
"Good…"
Kiritsugu asked, "If I need another batch, is there time?"
"Through the black market or mercenaries, yes."
"What else do you need, Kiritsugu?"
On the transport guarding the goods, Maiya pulled out a pen and notebook.
"C4, RPGs, Barrett M82A1 sniper rifles. If possible, get some Stinger missiles or high-explosive rounds."
"Stinger missiles, high-explosives…"
Maiya paused, stunned.
Was this level of firepower necessary for the Holy Grail War? As his assistant, she didn't question, nodding. "Those are hard to get, but I'll find a way."
"Thanks, Maiya."
After briefing her, Kiritsugu hung up, finalizing preparations. He walked to the castle window, lighting another cigarette.
No matter who he fought, his goal and outcome wouldn't change.
By any means necessary, he'd kill all magi, seize the Grail, and save humanity.
This was the final obsession and meaning of Kiritsugu, who'd killed his father and adoptive mother to survive.
He looked outside.
The snow fell harder, blurring his view.
The snow kept falling…
Amid the howling winds, the war's horn had sounded.
***
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