A bright flash of light zooms past me, barely missing my arm. The spearhead pierces the golden figure's head, and with a single yank the head is torn clean off. Time freezes momentarily. I'd thought we'd won. I'd thought that with our greatest opponent dead, this war would be nearly over. The moment I see my sight on the gauntleted hand gripping the King of Heroes' head, something seems off to me. The second the head fades into the aether, it sets in.

War.

This is a war. A large-scale armed conflict, fought between factions. Rarely does a war just involve two sides. Really, it should have been obvious from the start that things wouldn't be this quick and easy. This war for the cup of legend won't be over any time soon. No, the war hadn't even begun until this very moment.

Prologue chapter 1

December twenty-seventh, 2017. The night air is unusually warm.

I was out visiting an old friend of the family, Mr. Rogers, hoping to spread some Christmas spirit his way. He was kind as usual, and he did seem to appreciate the company. Still, though, he seemed so beat down. I really feel bad for the guy.

I guess I can kinda get it. I wasn't even born at the time, but my old man told me he had an old Great Dane he really liked. The dog was with him for over thirty years. It died in ninety-five, and ever since he'd been...different. He suddenly became really focused on his work at the detective agency. Even after twenty-two years he used that job to keep his mind focused on anything he could, but now his anesthetic's been cut off. His health has been declining in old age, and he was forced to retire. All of his old friends have long since moved away. He's completely alone.

I wish there was something I could do to make things better for him.

Wish...

The unseasonably warm air sends a shock through my mind. It reminded me of "that." Something the new priest sent by the association mentioned to my father. That's right, this hot air, this heavy atmosphere...thoughts begin swirling around my head at a million miles an hour.

I make up my mind. It may be petty of me, but I'm going to do it for Mr. Rogers. Even if it's petty of me, I'm still doing it to help someone.

My calm walk home became a mad dash. The church is too far away, so I need to get home and call the priest as soon as possible.

I'm greeted by an empty house. My parents went out on a couple's vacation overseas just after Christmas. It's just as fine. I doubt they'd approve of what I'm doing anyway. They'd say it's dangerous, and that our bloodline is too young. They're probably right, but I need to do it. I stop to catch my breath for a few moments before I dial the church's number.

"Young mister Cray? I trust you enjoyed your holidays. To what do I owe this call?"

"I need to you to tell me how to enter the Holy Grail War, Kotomine!"

"…I see..."

I just felt something crawling on the back of my neck.

It's a relatively simple ritual, really. I say the incantation around the magic circle, and provide a small amount of mana, and the grail does the rest. This should be enough to summon a heroic spirit.

The details are a little fuzzy to me, but the core concept is pretty easy to grasp. We'll be summoning heroes from legend to fight. The winner gets one wish granted. Anything we want. It's dangerous, but the more I think about it the less choice I have.

There have been five grail wars up to now. In each one, more and more innocents were caught in the crossfire. Older mage families are so far removed from the lives of ordinary people that they see no problem using them as pawns. They sacrifice people without giving it thought. Someone has to be there to stop that from happening. If I don't do it, who will?

My motivations clear, I hold out my hand to begin the chant Kirei told me.

"Silver and Iron for the origin. Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone. The ancestor is my great master Schweinorg. The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in four directions close. Coming from the crown, the three-forked roads coming from the kingdom circulate..."

The warm air becomes hotter and hotter as power courses around me. I can feel it working...

"fill, fill, fill, fill fill. Repeat five times, and shatter once filled. Your self is under me, and my fate is your sword. In accordance with the holy grail, you abide by me. Now answer. "

"Hear my oath. I shall become all good in the world, and I shall control all evil in the world. Seven heaven clouded in great words of power, come forth O guardian of scales!"

The hot air is now a scorching current. The magic circle flashes a blinding light before subsiding. My eyes adjust to see the fruits of my work.

Standing tall, lanky even. The figure seems unimpressive. Indistinctive. His green shirt and reddish brown pants, short reddish blonde hair, and some stubble at his chin. It's disappointing. Or it would be, if something wasn't uncannily familiar about him.

He looks at me, not with the resolution of a hero ready for war, but with utter calm.

"Like, are you my master?"