Prologue
A city near the coast. A worthy place to live and a worthy place for many mages and men alike. Even if the men were beasts deep down inside.
It was a city filled with innovative people, a city that held the top and the prestige among all citizens. Magicians from around the world would come and gaze at the showcase the city had to offer. There was something strange about the city, it was a peaceful place, too peaceful. That was always the strange thing about the city of Sukiyo.
It was not an illusion but a truth. Mages and humans lived beside eachother everyday. Although we lived together there was still a boundary that splited us. It's like the boundary between men and beast, or magic and science. They are very much alike yet so different.
In the end the city of Sukiyo was an example of the boundaries that separates us. The boundary of men and beasts; the boundary of love and hate; the boundary of war and peace. In the end Sukiyo was like a nexus of all the world's feelings and emotions.
The eastern coast of Japan... The city sleeps next to the sea, hours away from Tokyo. It laid in a peaceful location, to the south was the beach, the north was a land of agriculture, the west was where Tokyo rested, and the east was a beautiful cliffside view of the sea. The city itself was the most intriguing of it all.
The city held the mage's university of Sukiyo, it was one of the greatest in the world. Many low to high ranking mages attend there. Many search for the mysteries of the past. Most just want to hone their magic abilities. Recently the strongest family that was known throughout the cities' magi populace, had been murdered. Only one survivor remained. We all knew the truth however, the truth about who killed that family. In the end the city held the seeds that would spark the Replicant Holy Grail War.
"Typically a place like this can hold nominees for the Holy Grail War, especially if you know the cities origins. It won't be long now till the first servant has been summoned."
Mumbled a spy acting as a professor at the university.
His was Lorenzo Ederfall, a high ranking magus for a peacekeeping organization by the name D.O.V.
The sky was dark; darker than dark as there was no stars in the sky. It seemed like the clouds above came from hell themselves.
The man wrote down his notes and took a sip of his coffee. He looked out of his window of where he was staying. The view loomed over the city, it showed every detail and location of pretty much anything you would see in a city.
"Somewhere out there are the 7 masters. Although I have my spells ready, the city is a huge maze. What a troublesome place we live in, don't you agree archer."
He looked over to the corner of the room, there lied a bow, his catalyst. He went back to writing his notes.
-the Holy Grail War-
It was term used for ancient wars in mythology and legends. Many mages to this day still seek to participate in this war but all the rest of them don't believe in those legends. Only a chosen seven can participate. It was a dream for the common magi to participate, but it would lead to their ultimate end none the less.
X X
Once upon a time—there was a battle.
It took place in a certain country in the Far East.
The battle took place in an ordinary town, unbeknownst to its people.
However, that battle hid a truly dreadful secret. Indeed, it was a
war that brought about a miracle called the Holy Grail.
The Holy Grail.
It is an eternal miracle.
It is a legend.
It is a relic of the world of the gods.
It is a terminus.
It is hope—and so, to seek it is to admit despair.
The very identity of that object referred to as the Holy Grail changes
from time to time, from place to place, and from person to person. In
that war, the Holy Grail was not quite the "sacred relic" that it is often
pictured to be.
There, it was said that the miracle called the Holy Grail appeared
in the form of an omnipotent wish-granting device.
But it was merely said to be so, for at the time that the battle to
claim the Grail began, the wish-granting device called the Holy Grail
did not exist.
Before the Grail itself appeared, seven spirits were manifested.
From all of this world's histories, traditions, magicks, and fictions—
from every medium, "Heroes" were selected to be summoned into the
present-day world as "Servants".
They formed the fundament of the Holy Grail War, and were absolutely
essential for the eventual summoning of the Holy Grail.
Those spirits, beings immeasurably stronger than humans, were
called forth to destroy one another.
The magi who summoned those Heroic Spirits were known as
"Masters". In order to earn the right to obtain the Grail, a right which
could devolve upon but one, they too slew one another. That carnage
is precisely what is known as the Holy Grail War.
The spirits, once slain in battle, flowed into the vessel of the Holy
Grail; and when that vessel was filled, the wish-granting machine was
completed. That was the system underlying the Holy Grail War.
Those battlefields were perhaps the deadliest, most noxious places
in the world.
The participating magi had to conceal their existence from the rest
of the world, as always, and so they trod quietly through the night,
letting loose the flames of battle while unseen.
As part of its mission to oversee those objects described as Holy
Grails, the Church dispatched its own supervisor. The noxious battlefields
gleamed with a sanguine veneer as they were cleansed by those
overwhelmingly powerful spirits.
And, now-
The war is here in Sukiyo. It was already foreshadowed hence the association and the origins of the city. Each of the Heroic Spirits summoned for the ar are put into categories.
Saber.
Archer.
Lancer.
Rider.
Caster.
Assassin.
Berserker.
The Heroic Spirits are summoned in forms that accord with their
various special characteristics, thereby honing their abilities even fur-
ther. A Hero of the sword may be summoned as Saber; a Hero skilled
with the spear as Lancer.
To reveal one's true name is tantamount to broadcasting one's
weaknesses and special abilities; as such, Servants are typically referred
to by their class names. Each class is also endowed with various
skills, each able to influence combat in its own distinct way.
For example, Caster has the power of Bounded Field Creation,
while Assassin has the ability of Presence Concealment.
In a sense, the various classes are like chess pieces, each with a distinct
Ability.
But each player has only one piece. The chessboard is irregular,
designed for a battle royale. And every piece has the chance to control
the board, provided that its mover—its Master—is strong enough.
The man writing his notes knows every abilities and weakness a servant may have. He has studied and prepared for this war since his youth, but since the family that has been murdered was in his notes he needs to prepare to face the void that would fill their spot. He suspects it is the young survivor or the family that the killer has left.
He stood up and walked towards the bow he would use as his catalyst, then began his incantation. The first servant has been summoned, her class is that of archer.