The curtain has risen on the Holy Grail War.
An assassin harboring a prayer for the salvation of humanity, and the King of Knights who carries the salvation of her country in her heart.
The head of an aristocratic house seeking military glory and renown, and the vanguard of a knightly order who swore to serve such a lord until death.
A student warped by disdain and discrimination, and the Conqueror King of a great empire who embraces even such a student.
A clergyman agonizing amidst faith, magecraft, and heresy, and the hundred-faced assassins operating secretly within his shadow.
A man who is the very archetype of elegance, embodying the essence of nobility, and the golden Sage-King who possesses the arrogance of a sovereign and the wisdom of a philosopher before him.
A small boy controlling corpses while harboring eyes of the Origin, and the red-haired bow-knight who moves alongside him.
And finally... an exceptional possibility, one that even the boy who had anticipated everything failed to read.
Military glory, loyalty, salvation, tactical merit... Though their purposes vary, as each possesses their own goal, the war of inevitable collision begins now.
"...And yet, I already eliminated Ryuunosuke Uryuu."
"I know. Since you turned him into a corpse puppet... In that case, who on earth became the Master?"
The Masters currently removed from the Holy Grail War are the deceased Ryuunosuke Uryuu and the excluded Kariya Matou.
Matou Zouken's default stance was that of a bystander; until Kariya's intrusion, he had no particular interest, so even in the original history, he was said to be focused solely on preventing Francesca's infiltration.
Moreover, the Clock Tower wouldn't have dispatched a separate magus, so it wouldn't be an Enforcer under Sealing Designation... and as for the Holy Church, they already have a lunatic brimming with faith, so they wouldn't go out of their way to send someone like an Executor.
"Master, may I offer a word of advice?"
"Of course. Since we are on the same side for now... Ah, come to think of it, I haven't introduced you. This is Aoko Aozaki-san, a Magician and, for the time being, my guardian. I call her Aoko-nee."
"Nice to meet you~ I know the tales of the Knights of the Round Table quite well."
"A Magician... Somehow, it reminds me of a certain person. Although, you seem to be a far better person than him, at least."
"...I don't know who that is, but I find myself thinking the same thing."
After bonding over a shared disdain for the Magician of Flowers somewhere far away, we immediately began focusing on Tristan's strategy.
"While I do not know by what means you grasp their information, Master, I believe there is a necessity to meet them once, if only to verify that information."
"Hmm... You're right."
I was even questioning if Caster Gilgamesh had been summoned properly; if either a Master or a Servant had changed, I would need to reconceptualize my strategy.
And above all else... the sooner I can win over the Saber faction, the more helpful it will be.
"Then let's do this. The reason Aoko-nee didn't become a Master is that the final Master has already appeared. Even though there's still a day left before the official start of the Holy Grail War. So for the first day... tomorrow, we'll walk around like we're sightseeing. And our final destination will be a container warehouse near the Fuyuki Docks."
"Will we be waiting for the others there?"
"Yes. Additionally, I'll stay in the workshop with Aoko-san, and I'll act as the Master by controlling my Six Paths of Pain."
The Six Paths of Pain all had fundamentally different appearances, but because they were all connected to my prana, I could establish a simplified path between us, and commands via Command Spells were also valid.
"The other Masters will likely hide their identities as Masters to some extent, but they won't do it quite like me. Tristan, you handle the other Servants in a frontal confrontation. If you want to speak with King Arthur, feel free to do so as much as you like."
"R-Really?"
"Of course. However, anything excessive is troubling... like trying to snipe me, or something like that."
"I swear upon my oath that such a thing will never happen."
"Haha, thanks. At any rate, Tristan, just getting acquainted for now is enough. My puppets will also be active in the front, and I'll observe the surroundings through their vision."
Since Ryuunosuke Uryuu was gone, Gilles de Rais would not appear, and the possibility of Francesca appearing in Fuyuki City had also vanished.
So the real problem was...
"Aoko-nee."
"Yeah?"
"Once the existence of all Servants and Masters is confirmed, I need you to go to the Matou household first."
"The Matou house... Ah, there? But why? We already pulled out the kid named Sakura and Kariya Matou, didn't we?"
"No, it's not for that. We need to secure the person known as Matou Zouken."
* * * * *
The plan was perfect.
It was decided that Aoko-nee would stay in my workshop until the Servants' identities were revealed, and I leisurely played a dress-up game with Tristan while controlling the Deva Path.
"As expected, the Round Table looks incredible in a suit."
Even Artoria and Mordred, who were women, didn't they look well-suited in men's suits? In many ways, they are a group that truly fits the phrase 'they do not understand the human heart.'
"Let's finish up here for today and head to the docks."
"Understood. Then, as we previously agreed... I shall demonstrate my presence."
Tristan, having deactivated his Spirit Form, slowly began to expand his presence, and finally, the surrounding area became like an 'empty space' from which most animals had fled.
Even though I was sensing it through the puppet's prana receiver, that presence was certainly bloodcurdling, sending a prickling sensation throughout my body.
After checking the locations of the other Pains with the fingertips of the Deva Path, I quietly stood behind Tristan.
Before long, a man made his appearance.
A Servant with a beauty mark under one eye, wielding two spears of different colors... None other than Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, who is known as the Tristan of the Celts.
The spears of differing colors were Gae Buidhe, which possessed a curse of unhealing, and Gae Dearg, the spear that negates prana.
"...To display such spirit in a place like these docks. You certainly have guts, Heroic Spirit of the Bow."
"And you, to be lured in by such a provocation... Are you perhaps confident in your skills?"
"Well, that is something you will discover upon testing!"
A signal to begin was unnecessary in combat; the two Heroic Spirits drew their weapons and initiated the engagement.
Diarmuid relentlessly probed Tristan's openings by alternating his two spears, while Tristan evaded those spear strikes by a hair's breadth, retaliating with menacing harp strings to slash at his face.
However, Diarmuid was no pushover either; he blocked the strings with Gae Dearg and lashed out with a kick aimed at Tristan's knee.
Before I could even blink at the instantaneous exchange, Tristan plucked a string and leaped into the air, subsequently plucking his harp violently to unleash dozens of strings in a barrage.
"Hah!"
With a shout, Diarmuid crossed his two spears to block the attack, but seizing that gap, Tristan curved a string to leave a faint line across Diarmuid's right cheek.
"A pity. I had intended to take your head... Unfortunately, you have ended up with a mere scar."
"You take the words right out of my mouth. I had intended to properly break those swift legs of yours."
The two Heroic Spirits resumed their duel while mixing in light trash talk, and as I watched their battle, I identified the presences that had increased unnoticed.
'Assassin... Hundred-Faced Hassan is indeed nearby. Not making a move yet? And... found them.'
I could confirm it.
'Saber' had not shown herself, likely remaining in Spirit Form, but the Master with white hair and red eyes, 'Irisviel,' was definitely positioned behind the docks.
In that case, in nine cases out of ten, Saber was also by her side.
Of course, the reason she hadn't deactivated her Spirit Form was easy to guess.
Either to avoid interrupting the duel, or she was simply too embarrassed to face Tristan.
[Tristan, how is it?]
When I sent a telepathic message, Tristan hesitated for a moment before responding.
[He is a considerably strong Heroic Spirit. Purposely avoiding that spear of unhealing is quite a headache. Though you ordered me not to kill him, Master, he is a man who is difficult to even keep at bay unless I give it my all.]
[...Hmm, as I thought? Regardless, this fight is sufficient. It's likely about time for *that* to appear.]
[Pardon?]
At that moment.
"A LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA!!!!"
The thunderous roar of lightning, the lowing of two bulls.
Accompanied by a battle cry that felt familiar, a chariot raced between Diarmuid and Tristan.
The two jumped back in surprise, and the large man with red hair sitting in the chariot shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Cease your struggle! You are in the presence of a King!"
"Who are you, and why do you interfere in this duel?"
Then the Conqueror King, Iskandar, casually blurted out his own True Name as if it were only natural.
"My name is Iskandar, the King of Conquerors! I have been summoned in this Holy Grail War as the Rider class. You lot over there! Have you any interest in joining me? I intend to seize the Grail and share the joy of world conquest with you all!"
"What are you thinking, you idiot Servant!!!"
Truly, for this moment alone, I wanted to agree with Waver Velvet.
To reveal one's True Name—one's greatest weakness—in such a manner. It was truly a reckless act of insanity.
Meanwhile, the Heroic Spirits offered their replies.
"Spirit of Rider, I admire your spirit and daring in revealing your name, but the only lord to whom I shall offer the Grail is the master to whom I made a promise in this world, not you!"
"It is the same for me. The King to whom I swore my eternal loyalty... is but one. Though I failed to fulfill that mission... I believe I have not fallen so far as to betray my lord... yes."
"...I could negotiate terms of treatment or compensation later, you know."
"To reveal your True Name for something like that, what on earth are you doing!"
"Well, is there not a proverb about poking at a persimmon you cannot eat just to see?"
"...You revealed your True Name just for a taste of a persimmon you can't have???"
Everyone there fell into silence, and soon Irisviel, who had been in the corner, spoke up.
"...Is that... the King who once conquered the world?"
"It would appear so... My Lady."
Naturally, even during such a comedic interlude, a critique was bound to arrive.
[I see, so it was you after all?]
"Ah... no way!"
[Waver Velvet. I wondered what had blinded you enough to steal my relic, but I never imagined you intended to participate in the Holy Grail War yourself.]
Instantly, Waver, who had been shouting at Rider, was struck dumb.
[Well, since the replacement relic I procured yielded a rather satisfactory result, I shall not inquire further into this matter. However, since we are both participants in this Holy Grail War, I shall take it upon myself to provide you with a special extracurricular lesson. I shall teach you, without omission, the meaning of magi killing one another—and the pain that entails.]
According to Aoko-san, the Waver Velvet who had once boldly asserted his arguments and presented a thesis to Kayneth was now shivering in pure terror.
In fact, it was only natural. A blade right before one's eyes is far more terrifying than an entity far out of reach.
"Oi, Magus!"
It was, of course, the Conqueror King who upended that atmosphere.
"It seems you were the one who intended to take the place of the lad beside me and become my Master. In that case, you are utterly laughable! The man who is to be my Master must be a hero who roams the battlefield with me! A coward who hides his face because he lacks the guts to stand where a Master should be on the battlefield is far too lacking... Hahahaha!"
While Kayneth, instantly demoted to a coward, trembled with rage, the Conqueror King shouted loudly.
"And those others lurking and peeping from within the darkness! Those who feign ignorance even after witnessing the dignity of the battle that took place here! If you do not wish to be insulted as cowards by this King of Conquerors at this very spot, it would be best for you to come out! Cowards who lack even the confidence to show their faces!"
Then, as if the provocation had worked, a shimmer of golden light gathered atop a nearby streetlight and formed into a shape.
Simultaneously, behind a container where everyone could sense a presence but 'deliberately' chose not to attack, another figure materialized in a shimmer of light beside a woman.
A red-eyed Heroic Spirit with an exposed upper body stood atop the streetlight.
Behind the container, a blonde woman wielding an invisible sword revealed herself.
'So Gilgamesh has appeared as the Caster Servant... And Artoria Pendragon is out as Saber, so most of the Servants are now confirmed!'
With this, Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Assassin, and Caster were all accounted for. The only one left was... Berserker.
'In the original history, Berserker was summoned as Lancelot. But since Kariya Matou didn't participate and an entirely exceptional person seems to have joined, there's a possibility that a different Berserker has been summoned.'
And as if to prove that hypothesis, a woman dressed in a dangerously erotic outfit revealed herself from a corner of the harbor.