Waver Velvet.
As a Magus, he neither came from a prestigious family nor was he fortunate enough to meet a famous teacher. He was largely self-taught, eventually having the good fortune to be admitted to London's highest institution, the Clock Tower, the headquarters of the Mages Association that governs Maguss worldwide.
Waver's family's Magus bloodline had only lasted three generations. Compared to the descendants of established Magus families, Waver was significantly inferior in the density of his Magic Crest and the number of his Magic Circuits.
In the world of magic, superiority and inferiority are decided in advance based on one's birth; this is a widely accepted view in the magic world.
But Waver did not believe this. Waver had always firmly believed this. He thought he would become a good example, so he always actively strove to showcase his talents.
However, reality was too cruel. To impeach the corrupt system of the Mages Association, Waver wrote a thesis, conceived for three years and written for one year. It was his proud work, meticulously thought out, fiercely attacking old ideas, with clear and rigorous reasoning, without a single flaw, truly a masterpiece.
At least, Waver thought so.
But the lecturer of the Spiritualism Department casually read it once and then discarded it.
Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald. He was the eldest son of the Archibald family, a magic family that had continued for nine generations, and was very popular. He was engaged to the principal's daughter and, at a young age, had already become a first-grade lecturer, an elite among elites. He was also the representative of authority whom Waver most despised and looked down upon.
"Someone with your delusions is not suited for magical research, Waver," Kayneth said condescendingly, his voice even containing a hint of pity. Waver would never forget Kayneth's cold gaze for the rest of his life.
In Waver's nineteen years of life, there had been no greater humiliation than this!
Damn it, he couldn't tolerate it!
It was simply outrageous that his talent, which could shock the entire world, was being suppressed due to the arbitrary decision of an authority figure!
However, no one sympathized with Waver's anger.
From Waver's perspective, the Mages Association was rotten to its core!
After days of unvented fury, Waver suddenly heard a rumor.
The rumor was that the renowned "child prodigy," Kayneth El-Melloi, a first-class lecturer in spiritual evocation, had decided to participate in a magic competition held in the far east to add another glorious achievement to his already impressive resume.
Waver spent the night researching the details of that "Holy Grail War" competition and was deeply captivated by its astonishing inner workings.
It was a deadly duel, where heroic spirits were summoned into the modern world, driven by command spells, all for the sake of the "Holy Grail," a wish-granting device concealing immense magical power.
Reputation, authority—nothing held meaning; it was a true test of pure strength.
Without a doubt, this was an unprecedented opportunity to prove his talent!
Then, for the first time, Lady Luck seemed to smile upon the excited Waver.
The whole thing started with an oversight in the Department of Finance. A relic belonging to a certain hero, entrusted by Lecturer Kayneth to be shipped from Macedonia, was mistakenly sent along with ordinary mail, and Waver, as his disciple, was asked to deliver it to his mentor.
Waver immediately realized it was the catalyst used to summon a Servant in the Holy Grail War. At this moment, he encountered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
He had no lingering attachment to the decaying Clock Tower. The golden glow of being a top graduate was mere trash compared to the honor brought by the Fuyuki Holy Grail!
The moment Waver Velvet achieved victory in the war would be the moment the minor figures of the Mages Association prostrated themselves at his feet.
"Ah hahahaha...!"
Driven by the sole desire to prove himself, Waver resolutely left England and journeyed to the island nation in the far east. The Clock Tower immediately realized who had stolen the item mailed to Kayneth, but they did not send pursuers. No one knew Waver was interested in the Holy Grail War.
There was also a fact Waver didn't know. To everyone else, given Waver's abilities as a student, he was, at most, hiding Kayneth's item out of spite. No one imagined he would be so deluded as to risk his life participating in a magic competition.
On this point, the people of the Clock Tower had indeed underestimated Waver.
Currently, Waver was in a small house in Fuyuki City, hiding under a blanket, desperately trying to suppress the continuous surge of snickers. No, he couldn't suppress them. Through the sunlight streaming in through the curtain gap, he would raise his left hand every few seconds, letting out bursts of delighted chuckles.
Indeed, since last night, three command spells had clearly appeared on Waver's right hand, proof of a Master who summons a Servant. As a Magus outside of the Three Founding Families, he had been autonomously designated a Master by the Holy Grail.
After arriving in Fuyuki, Waver, for caution's sake, cast a spell on an elderly couple living alone, subtly suggesting to them that he was their grandson returning from studying abroad.
He successfully used this false identity to live a comfortable life here. And he didn't have to pay for a hotel, killing two birds with one stone.
With everything resolved perfectly, Waver began to admire his adaptability more and more.
Waver always believed that with his talent and luck, he would definitely summon the strongest Servant. The relic hidden in the closet of the upstairs bedroom—Waver knew very well what kind of great heroic spirit it would be the catalyst for.
A dry, half-rotted piece of cloth, it was a corner of a cape that once draped over the shoulder of a certain king. The legendary "King of Conquerors," who annihilated the Persian Empire and established the first great empire in the world, spanning from ancient Greece to northwestern India!
Tonight, within this magic circle drawn with the blood of three poor, innocent roosters, an incredibly powerful heroic spirit would descend at Waver's feet, to guide him to the glorious Holy Grail!
In the dead of night, within the Tohsaka Residence, in a dim and mysterious private room, the walls, glass, and floor were all specially reinforced with magic, forming a temporary magical stronghold. The only item in the empty room was an intricately carved altar.
As Tohsaka Tokiomi chanted in a low voice, he didn't use sacrificial blood, but rather a molten gem solution that continuously flowed and dripped from the fingertips of his outstretched right arm with each incantation. For the arrival of this day, Tokiomi had unsparingly used up all his accumulated, magic-infused gems.
The liquid gems flowed along the engraved grooves of the magic circle, filling the empty spaces until they overflowed. The radiance of magic began to bloom in the summoning circle, illuminating the relic placed in the center.
Guarding nearby were the Kotomine father and son, affiliated with the Church.
Kirei Kotomine stared intently at the relic on the altar.
At first glance, it looked like a fragment of a mummy, but in reality, it was said to be the fossilized shed skin of the first snake to shed its skin in this world, from the distant primordial era.
Just thinking about the heroic spirit that could be summoned through this, even Kirei Kotomine, who lacked human emotions, couldn't help but feel a surge of fear.
Now he finally understood the reason for Tokiomi's confidence. No Servant could defeat the heroic spirit Tokiomi had chosen...
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