The house was quieter than usual after Azazel's unexpected visit. Daniel sat on the sofa, reflecting in silence while Reynare, now in a maid uniform, diligently cleaned. Her expression was distant, her gaze dull.
The twins, Hikari and Hibiki, watched her with distrust from the kitchen, while Alya crossed her arms, still apprehensive.
—...I guess I don't have many options —Daniel murmured with a sigh—. But I don't plan to treat her like a slave. While she's here, she'll be treated as a person. Earn their forgiveness, Reynare, if that's what you want.
She raised her head slightly, surprised. That genuine kindness... threw her off.
—Thank you... I'll try.
The girls said nothing at first. Finally, it was Alya who spoke.
—Don't expect us to accept you so easily. But if he says you should try, then work hard.
—I will —Reynare promised, bowing her head.
---
Later that afternoon...
The atmosphere grew lighter with a movie marathon that included action, romance, and fantasy. Daniel, Hikari, Hibiki, and Alya shared laughter, sarcastic comments, and hugs, enjoying a well-deserved break.
When night fell, Alya said goodbye with a kiss on Daniel's lips, somewhat shy, but determined.
—Thanks for the day, Dani... —she said sweetly—. Let's dream together, okay?
—Always —he replied with a smile.
She went home while Hikari and Hibiki dragged Daniel to the bedroom to sleep together, hugging him from both sides.
That night, Daniel finally rested... or at least, that's what he thought.
---
That night...
Silence reigned in the house. Daniel slept soundly, surrounded by his Sekirei, his breathing steady, his body relaxed.
But in the stillness of the room, something began to glow faintly on his right hand.
Red lines, complex and elegant, started drawing themselves on his skin as if an invisible quill were tracing with living blood. The final shape was unmistakable to any fan of a certain universe:
Three marks connected by a design that looked like an inverted trident or an abstract flower.
A Command Seal.
An authentic Command Seal.
It pulsed with magical energy, barely contained, as if responding to a distant call. Its glow stabilized after a few seconds, leaving the symbol permanently etched on his skin.
Daniel frowned in his sleep... but he didn't wake up.
A new war, a new contract, or perhaps...
the Holy Grail itself had just looked toward this world.
And the first to be called... was him.
The morning started like any other. Sunlight filtered through the window, and the smell of breakfast prepared by Hibiki filled the house. Daniel yawned, stretching slightly as he sat up in bed, his body still relaxed from rest. Beside him, Hikari rubbed her eyes and Hibiki was already leaving the room, ready for the kitchen.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary... until, as Daniel put on his shirt, Hikari frowned.
—Huh? Daniel, what's that on you?
—Where? —he asked, finishing buttoning up.
—On your hand... your right hand —added Hibiki, who approached with a worried expression.
Daniel lifted his hand, somewhat confused... and then he saw it.
The red symbol was clearly marked on the back of his hand. Three intertwined lines, perfectly symmetrical, forming a kind of flower or trident. Its crimson color glowed faintly with a magical sheen.
And at that moment, Daniel paled.
—No... it can't be...
His heart raced. He knew that shape all too well.
A Command Seal.
—No, no, no! —he whispered, standing up quickly—. This wasn't in the canon...
—Daniel? What is that? —asked Hikari, alarmed.
Daniel didn't respond immediately. He ran to his desk, pulling out a map of Japan, a rather detailed one. His gaze settled on the area where it should be...
—Fuyuki...? —he murmured—. It's not... it doesn't exist...
The silence grew thick. The twins looked at him, confused.
—What's wrong? —Hibiki insisted—. Why are you so tense?
Daniel swallowed hard. Then he turned to them, his expression serious, somber.
—Girls... this... this could be serious. This symbol on my hand isn't just anything. It's a "Command Seal," a magical contract that appears on Masters chosen to participate in a very dangerous war. A War for the Holy Grail.
—War? Holy Grail? Isn't that a Christian legend? —asked Hikari.
—Not that version —Daniel replied, sitting down slowly—. In the world this comes from, there's something called the Holy Grail, a magical artifact capable of granting any wish... but not without a price. To obtain it, seven Mages are chosen as "Masters," and each summons a heroic spirit from the past known as a "Servant." They fight until only one remains. And the survivor gets the right to use the Grail.
—Heroic spirits...? —Hibiki murmured—. Like you with Ddraig?
Daniel nodded slightly.
—Something similar, but more... direct. Each of them represents a class: Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, Caster, Berserker, and Assassin. They are powerful... very powerful. And the war they unleash destroys everything in its path if not kept under control.
—And you... are you forced to participate? —Hikari asked, fear in her voice.
Daniel closed his eyes and nodded.
—If the seal appeared... then yes. I am marked. And if I try not to participate, sooner or later I'll be tracked and eliminated by the other Masters or even by the Grail system itself. To prevent information from leaking or the balance from breaking, deserters die. It's that simple.
Both girls fell silent for several seconds.
—What do you plan to do? —Hibiki finally asked.
Daniel looked again at the seal on his hand, now with a dull glow.
—First, investigate if this Holy Grail War has already started or is still in preparation. Second, find out if the other Masters have already been chosen... and third...
He trailed off thoughtfully.
—...pray that I'm not competing against monsters like Gilgamesh.
The twins didn't fully understand that last part, but from Daniel's face, they knew it wasn't a joke.
Daniel couldn't stop looking at his hand. Though the Command Seals were now hidden under a magical illusion Ddraig taught him to apply, he felt their weight. Not physically, but in his soul. A mark that had sealed his fate.
And if he was going to survive... he needed answers.
That morning, after having breakfast with Hikari and Hibiki, and kissing Alya on the cheek when they met on the way to school, Daniel only had one thing on his mind: find clues about the Holy Grail War.
—What's first? —Ddraig asked him mentally.
"See if there are magical families related to the war in this city. If the Tohsakas or Matous are here... it's almost certain the war will be in Kuoh."
With that in mind, during his free periods and lunch hour, Daniel discreetly snuck into the school's archive room. Using a simple spell of silence and blurred perception, he rummaged through records of important families.
And then... he found them.
Two names:
Tohsaka.
Matou.
Both residing in Kuoh.
Daniel felt a chill. His suspicion was confirmed. The war would be in Kuoh.
Now, his next objective was to find out which war was about to begin. If it was the fourth... there was no escape. Kirei, Gilgamesh, Berserker... all of that. It was a level he couldn't even dream of reaching yet.
But if it was the fifth war, there was a chance. With preparation, strategy, and the knowledge he had, maybe... just maybe, he could survive.
And there was a simple way to check.
Tohsaka Rin.
If she was already at the school... it was the Fifth War. No doubt.
Daniel returned to the classroom as if nothing happened. During recess, with his three girls by his side, he began observing the courtyard and hallways carefully.
—Looking for someone, sweetie? —Hibiki asked him.
—Some mysterious new girl? —Hikari added with a giggle.
—No, no, just... something caught my attention this morning —he replied, trying to sound natural.
That's when he saw her.
Walking with elegant posture, long hair tied in two low pigtails, uniform perfectly arranged, and a slightly arrogant expression as she spoke with a classmate.
Tohsaka Rin.
Daniel felt his throat go dry. Not only did she exist... she looked exactly as he remembered from the anime.
And her uniform... the most expensive in the school.
Everything fit.
—It's her —he whispered.
—Who? —asked Alya.
—A ticking time bomb. A very dangerous one —Daniel replied quietly, just enough for only Ddraig to hear.
"So... this is real. You're in the Fifth Holy Grail War, partner."
Daniel barely nodded.
And as Rin passed by him without noticing his presence, he understood something more important: if he was in this war... then the rest of them were too.
Gilgamesh. Caster. Berserker. Shirou Emiya. Archer.
They were on their way.
And he, Daniel, was in the middle of it all.
Classes finally ended. Despite being surrounded by his friends and girlfriends, Daniel had spent the day with a knot in his stomach. He knew he couldn't keep hiding it.
Not after seeing Tohsaka Rin walking the hallways with his own eyes as if she were just another student.
The walk home was silent. Alya walked hand in hand with Daniel, smiling shyly, happy to be with him, while Hikari and Hibiki walked beside them, exchanging worried glances. They already knew something was wrong. They had felt it since that morning... and they knew since they saw that magical seal on Daniel's hand.
When they arrived home, and after making sure Reynare wasn't eavesdropping from the kitchen, Daniel sat in the living room with the three girls facing him. He couldn't postpone it any longer.
—Girls... I need to tell you something important. Something serious. And I need you to listen without interrupting, okay?
The three nodded. Alya looked at him anxiously.
Daniel took a breath, closed his eyes for a second... and then let it all out.
—Today I confirmed what I feared since this symbol appeared on my hand.
He showed his right hand, deactivating the concealment spell for a moment. Three red marks glowed like living fire, drawn like scars that couldn't be erased.
Alya was dumbfounded.
—Is that... a tattoo?
—No. It's a Command Seal... a symbol indicating I've been chosen as a Master in a Holy Grail War.
The silence became absolute. Only the ticking of the wall clock could be heard.
—War... of the what? —Alya asked, her voice trembling.
Hikari stepped forward, gently taking her by the shoulders.
—The Holy Grail War, Alya... is a deadly magical competition. Seven mages... called "Masters," summon seven legendary heroes, called "Servants." The objective: obtain the Grail. An artifact capable of granting any wish.
—But only one can win it —Hibiki added seriously—. And all the others... must die.
Alya paled.
—And you are...?
—Yes —Daniel replied, firm but with sadness—. I am one of those seven Masters. And I didn't ask for it. I didn't want it. But the mark appeared anyway... as if the Grail chose me for some reason.
—Because of your aura? —asked Alya, still not fully understanding.
Daniel nodded regretfully.
—Yes. Ddraig and I believe... it was because of my dragon aura. It's too powerful. It attracts the supernatural like a magnet. Even if I don't want it, the world seems determined to drag me into the center of everything.
Ddraig spoke in his mind, his grave voice resonating:
"A true dragon cannot hide forever. Your destiny is not to walk in shadows, it is to blaze across the sky, roaring with all your power."
Daniel swallowed hard. And then, he looked directly at Alya.
—I don't want to lie to you. What's coming... won't be easy. I'll be in danger. And if you're by my side, you could be too.
Alya was quiet for a few seconds. After what felt like minutes of silence, she approached him. She looked at him with slightly glistening eyes... and hugged him.
—Did you really think... I'd leave you alone because of this? —she whispered—. Idiot.
Daniel stood still. She hugged him tightly.
—If I worry about you, it's because I love you. And if you're in danger... I want to be with you. I don't care if there's magic, legendary heroes, or wish wars. I chose you, Daniel. Just like you chose me.
The twins joined the group hug without a word. It was a moment too intimate.
—Thank you... all three of you —Daniel said, with a tired but sincere smile—. I don't know what's coming. But at least... I won't face it alone.
And in the back of his mind, a new certainty settled:
The time for rest was over.
The Holy Grail War had begun.