The night sky was dyed a deep blue, covering Kuoh with a veil of calm before the storm. That command seal that appeared on Daniel's hand wasn't just a magical ornament: it was an announcement. A prelude. And tonight, it would change everything.
He had spent days preparing. His skills improved with the help of his Sekirei, Hikari and Hibiki, while Alya had become his emotional anchor, his constant support. His Observation Haki could now detect even the slightest flicker of hostility within a radius of over 15 meters. His Armament Haki could shatter even rocks without leaving a trace on his skin.
But all that wouldn't be enough without a Servant.
He had already confirmed it: neither Shirou Emiya, nor Kiritsugu, nor even Caster or her summoner from the Fourth War existed. Only Rin, Sakura, and Shinji were present... but that was enough to know that the Fifth Holy Grail War was about to begin, and he couldn't afford to be the last to act.
---
In the backyard at home...
Under the starry night, Daniel drew the summoning circle with Ddraig's help. Magical runes, precise geometry, energy channeled with patience and concentration.
Beside him, Alya, Hikari, and Hibiki watched with tension in the air. Alya took his hand just before he began.
—Are you sure about this, Daniel? —she asked quietly.
—I can't fall behind —he replied with a soft smile, trying to dispel the tension—. If this is going to happen... I'd rather be prepared.
With a restrained sigh, he stood before the circle and recited the ancient incantation. His Command Seal shone intensely.
> "Let silver and steel be the essence..."
"Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation..."
"Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall..."
"Let the four cardinal gates close..."
"Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate..."
"Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut."
"Repeat five times..."
"And let thy body rest under my dominion, let my fate rest in thy blade..."
"If thou submit to this will and this reason, then answer my call..."
"I hereby swear..."
"That I shall be all the good in the world..."
"That I shall defeat all evil in the world..."
"Thou art seven heavens, clad in the three great words of power..."
"Come forth from the ring of restraint, Guardian of the Scales!"
The circle erupted in a blast of golden and pink light. An overwhelming spiritual energy manifested, warm yet majestic. A whirlwind of sakura petals danced in the air as if spring had suddenly arrived in the yard.
When the light dissipated, a female figure appeared in the middle of the circle, standing with elegance... and a touch of adorableness.
She wore a traditional celestial robe, with magical details floating like feathers around her body. Her eyes were intensely blue and sparkled with mischief. Fox ears and a fluffy tail swished behind her. In her right hand, she held a ceremonial mirror.
And then, with a smile as charming as it was dangerous, she spoke:
—Ara~ Is my summoner such a handsome man? How lucky I am, mikon~♡
Daniel blinked. His heart almost stopped.
—...Tamamo no Mae?
—That's right! —she exclaimed, giving a flirtatious twirl—. I am your Servant, of the Caster class, the magnificent, faithful, and adorable celestial fox wife, Tamamo no Mae! Please take good care of me, husband-sama~♪
Silence.
Alya, Hikari, and Hibiki froze. Daniel just swallowed hard while Ddraig laughed heartily internally.
> "HAHAHA. You're in trouble, kid."
Daniel raised a hand, trembling.
—Wait... wife?
Tamamo ran up to him and took his hands between hers with tenderness and a sparkle in her eyes.
—Obviously. The bond between a Master and their Servant is deeper than fate! I felt your call from beyond the annals of history, and here I am, your future divine consort, ready to help you in body, magic, and heart~! ♥
The girls looked at him at the same time.
—...Consort?
—Wife?
—Divine?
Daniel raised his hands trying to calm the situation, but Tamamo clung to him even more, her fluffy tail wrapping around his waist with possessive affection.
—Ah! Are these three your dear earthly consorts? Don't worry, my sweet love rivals, Tamamo can share... a little~ ♪
Chaos erupted.
---
After the shouting and explanations...
Daniel managed to calm everyone down enough to explain what was happening. Alya, Hikari, and Hibiki, though somewhat jealous, understood that Tamamo wasn't human, and that her loyalty was tied to the war pact. Still, the conditions were clear: Tamamo had to respect boundaries.
Tamamo, though offended at having to stay "in line," accepted with a foxy smile and an exaggerated bow:
—Very well. But know that even if I can't claim his heart immediately, his soul... is already mine, mikon~♡
---
That night, as Tamamo settled into the house and began preparing tea as if she'd lived there for years, Daniel sighed heavily from his room.
—...Did I really have to summon such an intense waifu?
> "You wanted a useful Servant."
"And now you have a magical fox goddess with centuries of experience and devastating mystic attacks. Be thankful it wasn't Nero in a bikini."
Daniel fell onto his bed, as Tamamo sang sweetly in the kitchen.
The Holy Grail War had already begun.
And the chaos... was only going to get worse.
The morning dawned quietly in Daniel's house... at least for the first five minutes.
Tamamo no Mae, with her typical foxy enthusiasm and a dazzling smile, entered Daniel's room without knocking, carrying a perfectly prepared breakfast tray.
—Wake up, my beloved husband-sama~! I made breakfast with love and a little divine enchantment to energize you~ Mikon~ ♥
—...Tamamo?! What are you doing here?!!
—Fulfilling my duties as a dedicated wife, of course! ♡
Daniel barely managed to cover himself with the sheet as the tray magically floated and settled on the table. Just as Tamamo was about to pounce on him with a mischievous expression, the door burst open.
—WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN DANIEL'S ROOM SO EARLY?! —shouted Alya, a vein throbbing on her forehead.
Hikari behind her, with an equally annoyed expression, and Hibiki... simply eating an apple with a "saw this coming" look.
—Ara~ isn't it normal for a wife to wake her husband with love and breakfast? Fufufu~~
—You're not part of the harem yet! —growled Alya—. You can't act like you're his official partner!
Tamamo struck a dramatic pose, bringing her hand to her heart.
—How cruel you are to me~! My love is pure, sincere, and magical... and it manifests in the form of fluffy omelette and rice with little hearts!
—That doesn't give you extra points! —Hikari intervened, stepping forward threateningly.
—What if I help with magical cleaning... and shared baths~?
—NO!
—...What if I promise to sleep at your feet like a loyal puppy?
—...That... sounds kinda weird —murmured Hibiki.
Daniel, trapped between the murderous glares and chaotic energies of the place, could only murmur:
—...Is this how Shirou feels in Fate? Because I'm not sure I'll survive this.
> "This isn't a Holy Grail War...", he thought with irony, "...it's a Domestic Fox War."
---
Meanwhile, at the Tohsaka residence...
Tohsaka Rin locked her room and carefully prepared the summoning circle. The lines glowed with a deep red hue, and the ingredients were aligned perfectly.
—I've practiced this a thousand times in my mind —she murmured, adjusting her pendant—. There's no margin for error. Come on, Archer... answer my call!
With a surge of mana, the ancient words filled the room and a gust of magical wind lifted the curtains. The light from the circle grew in intensity.
---
At the Matou mansion...
Sakura Matou knelt before her own magical circle. Her expression was calm, but her eyes showed determination. In the distance, the twisted Zouken watched with a macabre smile.
Sakura whispered the words she had learned in secret, pushing aside the pain she felt for her life like an old layer. This was her moment.
And with that last surge of mana, a figure began to materialize before her...
---
Back at Daniel's house...
Peace finally returned after the morning chaos. Tamamo had been relegated to helping in the kitchen (under strict surveillance by Alya and Hikari), while Hibiki and Daniel tried to emotionally repair the household.
Tamamo, while washing dishes with a floating magical bubble of water, murmured to herself:
—Soon they'll see I'm the best candidate to be Daniel-sama's celestial wife... I just need time~ Mikon~
Alya heard her, and with a snap of her fingers, took off her apron and sent her to the yard with a magical broom.
Daniel just sighed, with a cup of tea in his hand, looking around.
—I'm surrounded by beautiful girls... magical... mortal... and dangerous.
> "Ddraig..."
> "Yeah, I know."
> "I'm starting to think I'd rather fight Servants than fight with my girlfriends."
> "Welcome to the real Holy Grail: emotional survival."
Tohsaka Residence – 2:00 a.m.
The night in Kuoh was silent. The wind barely rustled the trees, and the moon shone high above as a witness to an ancient ritual about to repeat itself.
Tohsaka Rin, dressed in her ceremonial attire, stood inside the secret basement of her house. Around her, a magical circle perfectly drawn with lines of chalk, blood, and magical gems. The air vibrated with condensed magical energy.
—All set —she murmured while holding a blue pendant—. I inherited the technique from my father. All I need... is to focus.
Rin placed the pendant in the center of the circle, a special catalyst.
—Let this pendant resonate with the sword of victory. Oh, heroic spirit! —she pronounced firmly, power welling up from her body—. Answer my call, cross the boundaries of time and space... and manifest before me as my sword!
A bright red light burst from the floor. The circle vibrated, the basement walls shook... and a figure appeared slowly within the mystical smoke.
A man with white hair and steely eyes, wearing a red jacket and an air of absolute confidence.
—...
—Are you Saber? —asked Rin, intrigued but also somewhat confused by his appearance.
He looked at his own hand indifferently. Then looked at her with a neutral smile.
—Class... Archer, actually.
—Archer?! But I tried to summon Saber! That was the perfect catalyst!
The man shrugged.
—Weird things happen sometimes. I don't remember much... but I know I came because you called.
—You don't remember your name? Or your era?
—No... I only know one thing: I have to protect you. And that's enough for now.
Rin narrowed her eyes.
> "This isn't right... But his power is undeniable. And... there's something unsettlingly familiar about him."
—Alright. Archer, from this moment on, you are my Servant. We won't fail.
---
Matou Residence – At the same time
In contrast to the warm red hue of the Tohsaka basement, the Matou mansion was cold, dark, almost morbid.
Sakura Matou, kneeling in a gloomy stone hall, recited the same ritual. Her voice was firm, without tremors, despite what awaited her outside that magical circle. Her grandfather, Matou Zouken, watched from the shadows like a living shadow.
The circle began to glow with a faint violet light, different from Rin's. The magic here was denser, stickier, as if it dragged the soul itself into the abyss.
A female figure slowly materialized. Tall, with pale skin, long purple hair that fell like a curtain, and a blindfold covering her eyes. A mystical, cold, yet seductive presence.
—Are you the one who has called me?
—Yes... —Sakura whispered, lowering her gaze—. I am your Master.
The woman nodded slightly.
—Class Rider. I am here to fulfill your will.
But before they could exchange more words, the door burst open.
—What the hell are you doing, Sakura?! —bellowed Shinji, entering with a furious expression—. You're a Matou by adoption, you have no right to participate in this!
Sakura flinched a little, instinctively. Rider stepped between them, but Sakura stopped her with a trembling hand.
—I don't want to cause trouble...
—Then hand over your Command Seals. Now.
—...Alright.
With a resigned expression, Sakura raised her hand. The seal glowed and floated towards Shinji, who took it with an arrogant smile.
—Now, yes. I am Rider's Master. Finally, I'll be on equal footing with those Tohsaka bastards. You... just watch.
Rider said nothing, but glanced briefly at Sakura. The sadness and submission in the girl's eyes caused a discomfort she couldn't quite understand. Not yet.
Zouken laughed weakly in the darkness, whispering something unintelligible to the others.
---
Elsewhere... Daniel wakes up restless.
—That dream again?
Tamamo was sound asleep hugging his back, and the Sekirei were on the futon nearby. Daniel looked at his hand, and the Command Seals glowed softly for an instant.
> The war... has already begun.