Late at night, Kirei Kotomine knocked on the door leading to the basement of the Tohsaka mansion.
This was Tokiomi Tohsaka's workshop.
No matter how many times he entered, Kirei Kotomine was always struck by how strange the various magical devices here were.
His master, Tokiomi Tohsaka, was an outstanding Magus.
Although the Tohsaka Family had once been taken in as disciples by a certain Magician on a whim, it was undeniable that up until the previous generation, the family had remained rather unremarkable.
The one who changed that was Tokiomi Tohsaka.
In late twentieth-century Japan, he used every means at his disposal to secure control over key land in Fuyuki City.
Beyond that, he introduced many innovations in Magecraft, accumulated wealth through licensing Magecraft patents, and even gained considerable renown at the Clock Tower, the center of the modern Magecraft world.
He was far from what one would call a prodigy, yet Tokiomi Tohsaka perfectly embodied what it meant to be exceptional, to be elite.
He possessed both an iron will and the pride of one born above others. From the moment he was born, he had already decided on his life's goal and devoted himself to it without pause.
He never wavered, never stopped moving forward.
In that sense, he was the complete opposite of Kirei Kotomine.
As for Kirei Kotomine, although he had been chosen by the Holy Grail, he still remained trapped in confusion and suffering.
Even the Command Spells on the back of his hand seemed unable to save his soul.
"What is it, Kirei? At this hour?"
Tokiomi Tohsaka spoke while reading the latest report sent from Britain.
"No one saw you enter the house, I trust? On the surface, we are already enemies."
"Please rest assured. There are no familiars or magical devices, visible or otherwise, monitoring this mansion. I can guarantee that."
Kirei Kotomine and Tokiomi Tohsaka were both participants in the Holy Grail War.
As early as three years ago, Command Spells had appeared on Kirei Kotomine's right hand. However, under his master's orders, he had carefully concealed this fact, only officially announcing his participation this month.
From that point on, his relationship with his master, Tokiomi Tohsaka, had ostensibly broken down.
Of course, that was merely an act for outsiders.
Kirei Kotomine still belonged to the Tohsaka faction, working in secret to help his master obtain the Holy Grail.
Their faction even included the neutral overseer of this Holy Grail War, Kirei Kotomine's father.
"I came tonight to report something."
Kirei Kotomine spoke expressionlessly. "I've obtained new information about a Servant from my father."
His father, Father Risei, possessed a magical device called the "Spiritron Disk," which could display information about the Heroic Spirits summoned by the Holy Grail.
Although a Master's identity could only be confirmed through self-reporting, as long as a Servant had been summoned, no matter where the ritual took place, the Tohsaka faction could detect it using the "Spiritron Disk."
For example, even the Einzbern's violation of the rules, summoning Saber a year early in distant Germany, was already known to Tokiomi Tohsaka.
"According to my father, a new Servant descended tonight."
"Oh? What Class?"
"Well…"
Tokiomi Tohsaka was surprised to see his disciple, known for his poker face, show a rare hint of hesitation.
"Information on the new Servant… is still unclear."
"What?"
Kirei Kotomine explained, "The 'Spiritron Disk' can confirm that a new Servant has appeared, but it cannot identify their Class at all."
Tokiomi Tohsaka frowned slightly. "Is it malfunctioning?"
"No. The 'Spiritron Disk' itself is functioning normally."
"Then there's something unusual about the Servant summoned tonight?"
Kirei Kotomine nodded. "That possibility cannot be ruled out."
Tokiomi Tohsaka fell into brief silence.
Thinking of problematic Servants, he couldn't help recalling the Einzbern Family's stunt sixty years ago.
Those rigid Homunculi had actually tried to summon an evil god to fight for them. In the end, they outsmarted themselves, becoming the first to be eliminated in the Third Holy Grail War and turning into a complete joke.
Tokiomi Tohsaka smiled faintly.
"I see. Nothing to worry about. As long as it's not the Einzbern family or that old man Zouken scheming behind the scenes, it's fine.
The Servant of El-Melloi, the most threatening foreign Magus, has already been confirmed as Lancer.
At this point, even if one or two problematic Servants appear, it won't affect the overall situation.
Kirei, in this Holy Grail War, we will be the ones who claim ultimate victory."
"…Yes."
Kirei Kotomine knew full well that his master possessed an arrogance far beyond that of ordinary men, but wasn't this a bit too confident? You haven't even performed the Summoning yet!
However, he soon understood the source of Tokiomi Tohsaka's confidence.
The Magus pulled out the Holy Relic he had just acquired from a drawer, almost as if showing it off. It was a piece of ancient snake's shed skin.
Great heroes of the Age of Gods, the King of Knights of Britannia… there may be many Servants worthy of being called the "Strongest Heroic Spirit."
But there is only one Servant who can be called a "Heroic Spirit Killer."
...
...
Late at night, the warehouse lay in complete silence.
Clear moonlight streamed down through the skylight, enveloping the two figures inside.
On one side stood a young Master, Command Spells glowing on the back of his hand.
On the other side, within the Summoning Array, sat a female Servant.
"Ow, ow, ow…"
The silver-haired woman sat on the ground, rubbing her backside, her brows slightly knit as she muttered, "Oh dear, I messed up. I didn't expect I couldn't refuse the Summoning. How forceful."
Shirou stood there, stunned, staring unblinkingly at the Servant in the circle.
Her long, wavy hair shimmered under the moonlight with a dreamlike rainbow sheen, more radiant than any fairy of Britannia.
Her delicate, flawless face could no longer be described as merely beautiful. It was an almost unnatural kind of beauty, enough to make Shirou wonder if he had stepped into a dream.
She wore a pure white outfit that clearly marked her as a Magus, perfectly complementing her slender yet curvaceous figure. Her pale, alluring legs were wrapped in black stockings.
And most importantly—
This was a rust-filled warehouse, yet with her appearance, vibrant, multicolored flowers began blooming all around her in an utterly surreal display.
Shirou snapped out of it and spoke stiffly.
"Answer me… are you my Servant?"
According to Makiri, as one of the privileges of a Master, he should have been able to see a Servant's six parameters immediately after a successful Summoning.
But strangely, he couldn't read anything at all. Not her abilities, not even her Class.
"Hmm… I'd love to say no, but that probably wouldn't work, would it…"
The Servant, who seemed to be a Caster, brushed the dust off herself, stood up as if no one else were present, and took a deep breath.
Then she crouched down in front of Shirou, offering him a perfectly polished, almost professional smile.
"Nice to meet you, cute little Master."
Shirou: "..."
Why?
For some reason, there was something about her that felt strangely familiar.
...
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