For those who don't know, the story of the Second Tokyo Holy Grail War in Fate/Prototype is unfinished and was changed to the story of the Fifth Fuyuki Holy Grail War as told in Fate/stay night. A 12-minute OVA of scenes in Fate/Prototype was released in 2011 in the DVD for the third season of Carnival Phantasm. Don't get this confused with Fate/Prototype: Fragments of Sky Silver, a light novel series begun in 2014 and tells of the First Tokyo Holy Grail War. 2017 saw the starting release of the drama CDs for it.

This takes place during December of 2012. Ichigen is still alive, so Kuroh's still a Colorless Clansman, Tatara wasn't shot, and Adolf's still in his original body. He is, however, living at Ashinaka as a teacher and Neko's his Clansman.

There's one thing I want to say in regards to Cú Chulainn: Let's just have a freakin' story where he catches a break! Not fan-made, no Class change because of Odin. Well, he did get one in Today's Menu for the Emiya Family but I'm talking about a Holy Grail War or something similar! And the gameplay of Fate/Grand Order doesn't count. It actually has to be story-related. The poor guy's the punching bag of Carnival Phantasm, making him into anime Kenny! They even killed his Lancer, Caster, Berserker, and Prototype forms in one fell swoop in Fate/Grand Carnival! I laughed my ass off, but still! (I'd lose it if they also did that to his Saber form. He and that wolf pup next to him are so adorable!) Because of the Second Magic mishap in Fate/hollow ataraxia you know that every Servant in stay night won the Holy Grail War at least once so show Lancer's! He appears in so many Fate works, why can't one throw him a fucking bone?! The dude's been around since January 30, 2004! Quit screwing him over, it's getting old!

Picture of every Master and Servant on Wattpad chapter 1 & 2.


The blood-stained chalice has reappeared

I am willing to sacrifice anything to reach it

My home

My family

My humanity

Even my own life

I shall embody all the sins of humanity

In life

And also in death

I shall be an enemy of the entire world

I shall be an enemy to the evil of the entire world

I will strive to achieve the miracle

Even should blood stain this world

Even should this world turn into Hell in the process

None will be allowed to get in my way

I will obtain victory

This is all to fill the nothingness

This is all to open the doors to Heaven

Now, let the battle for the greatest treasure commence


The fire burning in his veins was breaking through his fire resistance and was charring his skin. An inferno of magenta was blazing everywhere around him, consuming the city. But this didn't matter to him. Letting the power run wild brought relief to his body. He didn't care how many end up dying as a result of him losing control.

"King!"

The face of a young man with light brown hair broke into his vision. The person was begging him not to do this.

Amber eyes snapped open. Sweat was causing his red hair to stick to his face.

A brown-haired male turned in the bed to look at the man. The one with the red hair is named Mikoto Suoh, the Red King, who controls fire. Mikoto's the leader of the Red Clan, HOMRA, who's territory is here in Shizume, Japan, part of the Tokyo Metropolis. "Did you have a nightmare?"

Mikoto looked at the person. This one is his Clansman, named Tatara Totsuka. Tatara help calm the beast raging inside the King. Hell, it's probably thanks to the Clansman that Mikoto hasn't self-destructed yet. Around the rest of the Red Clan, Mikoto calls the boy Totsuka as to not give the others a clue that there's something going on that they might consider 'unmanly'. But when it's just the two of them, the redhead calls the other Tatara. "Did I wake ya?"

"No. I couldn't fall asleep."

The dream made Mikoto think about the purpose he serves as a King. The Kings are unnecessary. Though they can make life easier, they aren't needed for the continued prosperity of Japan. Why, then, do they exist still? Is he headed for ruin for no reason? Is he really going to be no different than Genji Kagutsu, the previous Red King who let his power go out of control in 1999, causing his Sword of Damocles to fall and it taking out 100 km of the southern Kanto region, now known as the Kagutsu Crater?

The redhead sighed angrily. "It's all so stupid..."

"You don't like being King, do you?" Tatara said, as if reading the King's mind.

Silence filled the room for a moment. Then Mikoto replied. "It's a fate I can't fight. So I'll put up with it."

"I bet you wish you didn't."

"It doesn't matter whether or not I wanted to be the Red King. I'm stuck with that duty now."

"There's gotta be a way to relieve you of the burden."

"Ya think I haven't looked? The only way is to die."

Tatara pressed himself closer to the King to make him feel less alone. He didn't know how much it was helping. "There should be a way that doesn't involve you dying. We just have to look harder."


Mikoto walked out to the bar, called Homra and serves as the base for the Red Clan, the next day. Mikoto's room is on the bar's second floor. Tatara had already woken up a few hours ago. Some other Clansmen were laughing and talking by the door. As part of joining HOMRA, the Clansmen get a piece of Mikoto's fire power. It's nowhere near being on the same level as the King's own. Tatara's power is too weak to be used in battle. But it's useful for delicate work, something the others can't do due to their fire being too destructive.

After he plopped down in a barstool, Izumo Kusanagi, Homra's bartender and another Red Clansman, set a glass of bourbon down on the counter in front of the King. Like Tatara, Mikoto has known Izumo for a long time. However, Izumo had become Mikoto's friend in middle school and Tatara joined in while the King was in high school. The two later became Mikoto's first Clansmen.

"You slept almost to noon. Somethin' keep ya up last night?"

"Bad dreams. Also, somethin' showed up on the back of my right hand. Spent some time tryin' to figure out what it is and how I got it." Mikoto held out the mentioned body part. On the skin was what looked like a hollow circle with six wings sprouting out of it, three on each side. It was red and easy to mistake for a tattoo, just like the HOMRA marks.

"Those look like Command Seals," Izumo said. Before Mikoto and Tatara could ask him what he meant, Izumo continued. "A few days ago, this blond girl came into the bar. It was closed at the time, so I was 'bout to ask her why she was here. But she spoke before I could, sayin' she's Servant Ruler, arbitrator for the Third Tokyo Holy Grail War. She projected a large red mark on her back, lookin' like yours, and said they're Command Seals. She had also known that this bar is the base for the Red Clan. She went on to explain the basics of a Holy Grail War to me and gave me some papers as a reminder.

It's basically a fight to the death between seven mages, called Masters, each summonin' a Heroic Spirit, known as a Servant, to help them fight. The last remainin' Master-Servant pair left gains the Holy Grail, which can grant any wish. The Second was in 1999, and it was predicted the Third would take place 13 years later. This time, each Master represents a Clan. Seems you're the one for the Red Clan, Mikoto."

"How long will this be goin' on?" Mikoto asked.

"A Holy Grail War typically lasts a couple weeks."

Misaki Yata, HOMRA's vanguard and the one also called Yatagarasu, went white as a sheet. He doesn't do well at even the mention of ghosts or spirits. "We're gonna have ghost in here for the next two weeks?!"

"I wouldn't worry, Yata," Izumo replied. "The spirit will be under Mikoto's control."

Rikio Kamamoto, an overweight Red Clansman, laughed. "You're such a chicken, Yata!"

The skateboarder prompty punched Rikio in the back of the head. "Shut up, Fatty!"

Izumo sighed before looking back at Mikoto. "A relic relatin' to the hero needs to be used durin' the summonin' to act as a catalyst. I'll find ya a good one."


A few days later, Izumo handed Mikoto something. The item was a necklace with a wolf's head holding a crescent moon in its mouth.

"I know a guy from the Mage's Association. He got his hands on the relic someone named Misaya Reiroukan used in 1999. This should call forth a Lancer-class Servant, which specialize in hit-and-run tactics. This necklace belonged to Cú Chulainn, a demigod from Irish mythology. He apparently fought in the Second Tokyo Holy Grail War."

"This is the incantation for summonin' a Servant," Izumo handed Mikoto a piece of paper. The King lazily looked over the writing. "Memorize it for when you're performin' the ritual."

"This is stupid," Mikoto said as he set the paper down on the counter. "Why do I even need one? I'm a King. I should be able to take out the Servants on my own."

"Apparently, some Servants hold more power than a King. Even those who aren't on a physical level would be able to come up with plans able to kill one. And they're incredibly durable. Their status as spirits makes conventional weaponry useless on them. They can only be harmed by attacks accompanied by a magical, spiritual, or conceptual enchantment. Plus, the Holy Grail's a spiritual object. It can only be touched by other spiritual entities, so you'll need a Servant to claim it for you."

"I'm sure you're also aware other Kings could be Masters," Tatara put in. "I don't think they'll just let you kill their Servant."

Mikoto grunted. "But we don't know if that's the case or if I'm the only one. Even if others are Masters, we don't know which. I might be able to take them down on my own. Y'know, like the Colorless King. He's supposed to be the weakest."

"That would put a large burden on you, causing your Sword of Damocles to fall."

"Drawin' the summonin' circle requires blood or runic silver to be used. The latter's hard to come by, so blood will have to be used. It doesn't have to be human blood. I'll see 'bout gettin' some."


That night, Tatara and Mikoto were in bed together. Mikoto was going over the chant for the summoning in his head.

"You want to stop being King, right? Then win the Grail and wish to be an ordinary human."

Mikoto looked at Tatara with wide eyes. "What?!"

"It can grant any wish, right? Then it shouldn't have a problem with undoing you being the Red King."

All he has to do is win and he can stop being the Red King? It would be that easy?


The next morning, Izumo spoke up once Mikoto got settled in the bar stool.

"I got blood from a cow that got slaughtered. I already made the summonin' circle in the basement. You're ready to summon a Servant now."

"Fine. Let's get this over with," Mikoto said as he stood up from his seat.

"You still have the relic, right? And ya memorized the incantation?"

As if to answer Izumo's first question, Mikoto reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the necklace. "And I have what was written memorized."

"I'm going too!" Tatara said. "I want to see you summon a Servant!"

"Fine." Mikoto looked at Izumo. "What about you?"

"Anna should be wakin' up soon. I'll fix her breakfast for when she does."

So Mikoto and Tatara went down into the basement alone. The target was in the back of the room.

"So, this is the summonin' circle?" It was made up of lines of red, blood having been used to make it. Inside the circle were several symbols, looking like letters, around an 8-pointed star. Four of the points were completely filled in with red. Between each point was a letter-like symbol. Four were encompassed by a circle. He set the necklace on the table on the other side of the table and then stood by Tatara and held his right hand out to the circle.

"Silver and iron will be the elements and stone shall be the foundation. Lay down walls to the winds of four directions and follow the three-forked road that leads from the Crown to the Kingdom. Be filled five times, but destroy each. My will is what creates your body while your sword carves my destiny! If you heed the Grail's call, then answer me and submit to my will and reason! I herby swear to represent all the good in the world and to vanquish all that is evil! You, who bears the three words of power, appear from the binding of one of the seven pillars, Guardian of Scales!"

At this point, wind was blowing from the circle, which was glowing red, so hard that Mikoto wouldn't be surprised if his hair turned out somewhat messy. Mist erupted from the summoning circle when the incantation was finished.

The mist cleared, revealing a man standing in the center of the circle. He looked to be around the same height and age as Mikoto himself. He had his head down in a bow, messy blue hair concealing his eyes, and his right arm across his chest while bowing. For some reason, the redheaded King was reminded of a wolf looking at this one. As if on cue, the remains of the winds caused a bestial scent to hit his nose.

The Servant spoke up. "Servant Lancer respondin' to your summons. I swear to always protect ya. I'll be your sword and your shield. Your fate shall be my fate." He raised his head then looked around. This allowed Mikoto to see that this man had red eyes with serpentine pupils. This made him look even more like an animal. "Ya sure we aren't bein' monitored? I don't sense any bounded fields for preventin' scryin'. Even if it's unknown who's a Master, it's known that the seven are from each Clan." His canines looked like little fangs. He definitely looked like some kind of beast.

"Pretty sure we're fine down here," Mikoto replied.

He looked uncertain but was staring intently at Mikoto. "You bear Command Seals, so ya must be my Master. What's your name?"

"It's Mikoto Suoh. I'm also known as the Red King. Just call me Mikoto."

The man's crimson gaze flicked to Tatara. "And he is?"

Tatara bowed, opting for giving respect instead of the casual attitude Mikoto was using. "Welcome, Mr. Heroic Spirit. My name -"

The Servant waved one hand dismissively. "Ya can stop being formal with me. It makes me uncomfortable to hear someone talk to me so stiffly. Just call me Lancer."

"You're supposed to be Irish. So why're ya speakin' Japanese?" Mikoto asked.

"The Grail gives us knowledge 'bout the language where we're summoned as well as allowin' us to speak several other languages."

"That's good," Mikoto said. "It'd be troublesome if we couldn't communicate. I also notice ya have a full understandin' of what's goin' on. That also from the Grail?"

The knight nodded. "We have a full understandin' of the basics of the Grail War and enough knowledge 'bout the time period we're in to get through it no problem."

"What did you see during the War in 1999?" Tatara asked the Servant. Maybe this warrior could provide a clue on how to win.

"We don't retain memories of prior summonin's. And yet..."

Mikoto raised an eyebrow. "And yet? Do ya remember somethin'?"

Lancer's gaze fell to the floor. "I...don't know. But whenever I try to remember those battles, I feel sad for some reason. What went down?"

"So you'll be King's partner now?" Tatara asked.

"Yes. I'll be his bodyguard for as long as his Command Seal remains."

Mikoto allowed his eye to take in all the armor the Servant wore. "Ya stick out like a sore thumb."

Lancer rubbed the back of his neck. "I know. I need modern clothes in order to blend in for when I'm not fightin'."

Mikoto sighed. "Come upstairs. We'll see if my clothes fit ya. If they do, you can borrow 'em for today."

Izumo met them once they had emerged from the basement. Chatter was coming from the bar. The other Red Clansmen had arrived.

"The summonin' was successful?" Izumo asked. Tatara and Mikoto nodded. Izumo turned his attention to the Servant. "So, Cú Chulainn, we -"

"Just call me by my Class Name instead of my True Name," the Celt broke in. "A lot of us in the Throne died in battle, myself included. True Names can be used by the enemy to exploit weaknesses."

"Throne?" The three humans asked that at the same time.

"The Throne of Heroes. It exists outside reality and holds the Heroic Spirits of the past, present, and future. Time also doesn't exist there, so we can always be kept in our prime even though I'm from what's called the 1st century. This form is 24 years old."

"You died pretty young," Tatara said.

"Well, I made it to 30, but you're right. It was my fate. I lived a glorious, yet short, life."

"We need to get ya into some new clothes," the Red King said while starting to go up the stairs. "Up here."

Lancer sped walked up the stairs to catch up to his Master. "Comin'!"

Several minutes later, Lancer came out to the bar with the redheaded King and was wearing a new outfit. His clothes looked just like Mikoto's.

Izumo took notice of this right away. "Lent him yours, Mikoto?"

"We're the same size. Besides, this is just until he gets his own clothes."

Someone from the bar ran up to the warrior. It was a small girl with pale skin and silver-white hair. She was staring at the blue-haired man with big red-violet eyes. "You have a pretty red too, like Mikoto."

Lancer just stared at her with confusion etched on his features. "Ah?"

Izumo decided to explain. "Anna can only see the color red, but with us she's talkin' 'bout our auras. You aren't a Red Clansman, so why do ya have a red aura?"

"She must be referring to my mana. It's red."

Misaki was looking at Lancer with suspicion. "He's your partner, right Mr. Mikoto? So he won't suddenly attack us?"

"As long as all of you aren't tryin' to kill him, ya have nothin' to fear from me," Lancer replied.

Rikio didn't say anything about how that thing Misaki said was due to the fact ghosts freak him out. He had received a really hard punch.

"You gonna make him a Clansman?" a young man named Kousuke Fujishima asked.

Mikoto let out a sigh. "I dunno 'bout possibly burnin' my own Servant to a crisp. He's already supposedly loyal to me. 'Sides, he's supposed to be stronger than me on a physical level, so I dunno how badly he needs a part of my power."

"No way that's true!" Shouhei Akagi exclaimed.

"Apparently, ya can go into spirit form, Lancer," Izumo said. "Care to demonstrate?"

"No prob -"

"Wait, WHAT?!" The knight glanced to see who that was. The shout came from Misaki. He looked a little scared right now. Sweat was building on the boy's face. Lancer, smirking and getting an idea, dematerialized without budging a muscle. "He vanished?!"

Izumo looked at the boy. "He might look to have a body like the rest of us, Yata, but he's still a spirit at the end of the day. I wanted to see if he could still go into a spiritual state."

Misaki was about to say something when the demigod materialized behind him. "Yo!"

A very girly scream escaped Misaki's lips. The boys around him broke out laughing.

Tatara laughed nervously. "He's certainly...playful."

"Is he really that strong?" Mikoto looked doubtful. Misaki threw a punch at Lancer's face, but the Servant easily caught the fist, chuckling the whole time. He's supposed to have been through war, right? And yet he seems easy to get along with. Is the fact he's still cheerful a mask to conceal something else?

"Don't judge a book by it's cover," Izumo replied. "A Lancer is a Knight Class Servant, with that and the other two said to be the best in the War. Still don't believe me? Check his stats. Apparently, Masters can see the stats of each Servant by concentratin'. It's a form of clairvoyance."

Mikoto glanced at Izumo. "Stats? Is this a game?"

"Seems that way."

Mikoto sighed before attempting to check out his Servant.

Strength: A

Agility: A+

Luck: D

Endurance: C

Mana: B

Noble Phantasm: B

Noble Phantasm? What's that? Lancer might know.

"Hey, Lancer!" The mentioned Servant came over to Mikoto.

"What's up?"

"I noticed 'Noble Phantasm' on your parameter list. Know what that is?"

"Noble Phantasms are the strongest attack of a Servant. My weapon can be used to invoke two different Noble Phantasms. The first, which reverses cause and effect to hit the heart, is classified as Anti-Personnel, meant to be used on one target, and has a low mana cost. I can use it six or seven times before requirin' more mana. The second is a bit more costly but is Anti-Army, which targets multiple enemies. The curse of death is in the blast and anyone it touches is instantly killed."

"Sounds like somethin' ya should be makin' plenty of use of."

Lancer shook his head. "There's a catch."

Izumo groaned. "Of course there is. So what is it?"

"A Noble Phantasm requires the True Name to be said for use. As they're always linked to the hero using it, the Noble Phantasm can reveal our True Name. Even should mine kill the enemy, another foe could be hiding nearby and could figure out my True Name. 'Sides, I don't wanna fight to end that easily! It'd kill my fun! I'll only use it if I've been pushed into a corner or a stalemate."

"So you're someone who likes to beat the shit outta people," Izumo summed up. "You'll fit in with the Red Clan great."

"Yeah, but humans are too fragile. They easily up and die. Servants are more durable, so I can have fun."


The location was in a replica of a house's room in an old water storage facility. In front of a T.V. and playing a video game with two others was a young lady. Servant Saber. Her True Name is Mordred. She was the "son" of the King of Knights, Arthur Pendragon, and is called the Treacherous Knight. This knight's Master is the Green King, Nagare Hisui. He's the leader of JUNGLE.

Saber swatted at Kotosaka. The green parrot evaded and cackled. "Stupid parrot! I swear I'll cook you one of these days!"

Tenkei Iwafune glanced lazily at her while drinking another can of beer. He was sitting down at the kitchen table. "I've given Kotosaka that same threat numerous times. Trust me, he won't listen."

The knight had to shoo Kotosaka away again, who had landed on her head and tugged at her ponytail. "Looking down on a Servant..!" She looked back at Nagare. "Master! Can't you do anything about your stupid bird?!"

The Green King gave his Servant a small smile. The fabric over his right hand of the straightjacket he wore was open and pulled back, exposing the Command Seal on the back of it. The mark looked like a single red feather, but on the bottom looked like a smaller copy of the feather. This one was pointing down to his wrist. "It's fine. He isn't hurting you."

"But this flying fucker is causing me to mess up in the game!"

Yukari Mishakuji didn't look up from his nails, which he was painting. He was just lounging in a couch of this room. "You shouldn't swear so harshly in front of little kids." He glanced at Tenkei, waiting to see if the Grey King will say anything.

Tenkei didn't have his attention on the blond but rather on the King in the wheelchair. "Nagare, try to control your Servant before I have to."

Saber turned her attention back to the T.V. "I'd like to see you try, old man," she growled under her breath.

"Not like it isn't something I haven't heard a million times already," Sukuna Gojou said.

"You want to grow up with a foul mouth? Not very attractive," Yukari replied.

"Like I care what you think..." Sukuna muttered.

Saber snarled. "And I'll say whatever I damn well please..."

"You're acting like a little girl, Saber. I would have expected better from a Knight of the Round Table," Rider said, not tearing his eyes away from the T.V. screen. "Killed you again!"

"Dammit!" She slammed her controller down in a fit of rage. Amazingly, it didn't break. "Kill him for me, Sukuna!"

Servant Rider. His True Name is Iskandar. However, he's also known as Alexander the Great. He's called the King of Conquerors. His Master is the Grey King, Tenkei Iwafune. He, along with the others present, were Green Clansmen. And yes, this also included the parrot. He and Nagare have been hiding down here ever since Nagare got his ass beat by the Gold King. But hopefully this Tokyo Holy Grail War distracts that old buzzard enough to allow he and Nagare to come out of hiding.

"Alright! That's one hour! Video game time for today is over!" Tenkei said sternly to the three in front of the T.V.

Saber was looking at Tenkei with a look of utter disbelief on her face. "Whaaaat?!"

Sukuna shut off the game console. "Don't bother arguing. It's one of Mr. Iwa's rules."

"That you can only play video games for an hour a day?! That's absurd! Rider, back me up here!"

Before the king could say anything, Tenkei fixed his Servant with a stone-cold look so intense that it made even the much larger man gulp nervously. "You agree, right Rider?"

Rider set his controller down, gently compared to the short-fused Saber's treatment of the device. "An hour seems reasonable..."

Saber was glaring at Rider. "Wuss."

"Well, he's my Master." The redhead looked at Tenkei with a serious look on his face. "Mr. Iwa, we need to talk alone."

The blond knight grinned and her green eyes glittered in a teasing way. "Aw, don't want me there?"

"It's about the Grail War."

Saber's face instantly dropped. "Oh..."

The brown-haired man set down his beer can on the kitchen table. "There's a room next this one that we use for training. Will that work?"

The Servant stiffly nodded. "As long as we can't be heard."

As Tenkei left with Rider, Saber looked at Nagare. "Master, we need to talk about it as well."

"Very well. Do we also need to go elsewhere?"

The woman shook her head. "No. Here should be fine." She looked at the two human Clansmen. "I need both of you to go elsewhere for a bit."

Sukuna cocked his head. "Huh? We can't stay?"

"I can't trust that you won't say anything to Mr. Iwa or Rider."

"We'll keep our mouths shut! I promise!"

"What if started talking about killing them? Can you stay silent then?"

Sukuna looked to be struggling to find something to respond with. Yukari just got himself ready to head out. He went over to Sukuna and handed the boy a coat and what looked like a black staff. "Let's take a walk in the city."

Sukana snatched his things from Yukari. "Fine. I'll see how many low-level missions I can finish before we have to head back."

"And what about Kotosaka?" Nagare asked.

Almost as if on cue, the mentioned parrot landed on the swordsman's head and began tugging at her strands of hair. The Servant narrowed her eyes, snarled, and a vein appeared on her forehead. "I trust the damn bird least of all! It goes for this too!"

Yukari coaxed Kotosaka onto his shoulder. "Let's go." He switched his gaze to the King in the straightjacket. "Will you use him to tell us when you've finished?"

Nagare nodded. "Of course."

Once the Clansmen left, Saber opened a telepathic channel to Rider. 'Yo, Rider.'

'Why are you communicating with me like this, Saber? I thought we agreed to only do this in the event of an emergency.'

'I know. But I also need to talk to my Master about this War. Are you and Mr. Iwa out of earshot?'

'We just started talking. There's even a door. Just let me know when you and Nagare are done.'

'Thanks.' The link ended. Saber walked over and sat down in a chair to the kitchen table, turning it so she was facing the King with the dark brown - almost dark green - hair. The Servant was the one who spoke first.

"Are ya ready for this battle?"

Nagare responded with a serene smile. "From what Ruler said, this seems to be a game where you bet your life. In that case, it may prove fun."

Saber sighed. While she did agree with the idea that this is just a deadly game, she needs to make sure her Master knows just how dangerous it actually is. "It may be just a game, but don't take it lightly. If you do, you could lose it. And even if the Grey King's your ally, you have to learn not to trust him. He might be plannin' to kill ya to eliminate one of the players."

"He isn't that type of person."

"Maybe not normally. But this is a Grail War. The desire to win can make some people act out of character."

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Rider was looking right at Tenkei. "You know that you and Nagare will eventually have to fight to the death. Will you be able to handle it?"

Tenkei let out a bitter laugh. "Seems this Grail War is good at tearing families apart."

"Try to answer the question."

"Dammit, I already know! It's not exactly something I'm looking forward to!"

"I know, but you'll need to steel yourself for when it happens."


A woman was walking down a dirt path, trailing a couple steps behind two others. Servant Berserker. Her True Name is Kiyohime, the one who burned alive the person who broke her heart. She serves the Colorless King, Ichigen are normally large consumers of mana, but due to his status as King, Ichigen was having no trouble with the upkeep.

She was glaring right at Kuroh, a Clansman of the Colorless King, who she saw as an obstacle that keeps her from getting close to Husband. "Back off from him, bishounen. Unless you want me to pry your ribs open."

Kuroh couldn't help taking a few steps back at the intensity in this dragon's voice and in the look she was giving him. She was really prepared to do that.

The brown-haired King came over after realizing his Servant and Clansman had stopped walking. "Is something wrong?"

The black-haired young man pointed an accusing finger at the girl. "This yandere just threatened me with death!" He knows her True Name and what she did to Anchin.

Berserker was attempting to look as innocent as possible. "I have no idea what he's talking about, Master!"

Kuroh only responded with a growl, glare fixed on this demon in human form.

"A new feud erupts. The dog and dragon argue. Will they get along?"

Kuroh was gazing at Ichigen with large, sparkling eyes. "As always, your haikus are beautiful!"

The blue-haired girl, meanwhile, was glowering at back of the 18-year-old's head so intensely that it alone should've killed him. "Maybe I should roast you alive here and now?" But she made sure to say it quietly so Husband won't hear.

"You need to learn to coexist with others," Ichigen said right to the horned girl. "Or do I need to order you with the Command Seal?"

Berserker went over and grabbed Ichigen's right hand, running one gentle hand over her Master's Command Seals. Four wings were spouting from both sides of an eye with a feather going down the middle. "Each Command Seal is made up of three strokes. That means it can only be used three times. Try not to use up your strokes, or you won't be a Master anymore." If that happens, she'll probably resort to blood-sucking if it means she can stay with Husband. But if she becomes a Stray Servant from him dying, she'll probably up and commit suicide.

Kuroh was staring at Berserker with uncertainty. Even though she's smiling, that was a concealed warning to the King. It meant "don't you dare waste a stroke to get me to play nice".


One man was sitting at a desk with another standing before it. The location was SCEPTER 4 HQ, Tsubaki-mon. The one standing up is Servant Archer. True Name: Chiron. He had been the teacher of many Greek heroes. This centaur is currently under the command of the Blue King and leader of the police-like SCEPTER 4, Reisi Munakata.

"The Grail War can be likened to a game of chess." Archer was saying. "The pieces in the back tend to represent the Servants as they have their own maneuvers and are ones to watch out for. Masters are the pawns. Servants tend to look down on them, but that's what can make them so dangerous. This allows Masters to easily slip under the radar and deal devastating damage."

Reisi smirked. "I see. So this is a game of strategy. My impression was that this would be some lawless slugfest."

A woman walked in. "Captain - Captain, who is this?"

"Ah, Ms. Awashima. This is my Servant, Archer."

The blond bowed. "My name is Seri Awashima. I serve as Captain Munakata's lieutenant. It's an honor to meet you, Sir Archer."

Archer had a kind smile on his face. "Be at ease and just call me Archer."

"I was going to introduce him to the Special Squad. I also believe Mr. Zenjou should meet him. Can you fetch him and have him wait with the others in the main room?"

"Very well. I'll let him know." She turned and went out the door.

Reisi stood up. "I'll take you to meet the others."

Archer was walking alongside the Blue King down the hall. "Master, in this upcoming battle, you'll ask yourself at some point 'is this wish worth destroying someone else's?''

Reisi glanced at the man with the horse tail out of the corner of his eye. "Why are you bringing this up?"

"I thought you should know you'll also be confronting morality."

Reisi smirked and adjusted his glasses. "It matters not, because I know whatever I choose will be right since I am on justice's side."

Archer narrowed his eyes. "While I agree with fighting for justice, I also know that you must steel yourself in the event where you have your ideals ruined."

"My resolve is pure. It can never be defiled."

The horse remained silent, only giving the King a sympathetic look.


A man was laying back against the wall of a house on the roof of Mihashira Tower with his hands behind his head. Servant Assassin. His True Name is Okada Izou. The manslayer known as the Ghost of Tosa. His Master is the Gold King, Daikaku Kokujouji. He is known as the strongest King and is the one in control of the Dresden Slate, a mysterious stone slab that grants Kings their power.

The old man was looking at this black-haired Servant. "So you specialize in killing people?"

Assassin only regarded the King with a lazy glance. "Well, yeah. I'm one of the four manslayers for a reason. By the way, ya got any sake here?"

Daikaku sighed. "Are you really looking to get drunk?"

"Well, yeah! But I'm bored outta my mind!"

"You are aware we could be attacked at any time?"

"Ya think I don't know that?!"

"Then why are you aiming to get so drunk you can't stand?"

"I never said I'll get that drunk! I'll still be able to function! Now do ya have any sake here or not?!"

"The bar's on the ninth floor." Assassin stood up and started to head out of the Japanese house. "Wait! I'll have an Usagi make sure you don't drink too much."

The swordsman groaned. "I'm not a baby!"

"No, I just want to make sure you won't vomit in here."

Assassin scratched his head. He couldn't think of a retort against that. "Fine, fine...Hey, Master."

"What is it?"

"About the Holy Grail War. Have ya ever killed someone?"

"A couple, but purely by accident."

"It can be fun to watch someone's dying struggles."

"You seem to derive great joy from taking lives."

"Apparently, it's the correct mindset to have. You'll need to harden your mind if ya wanna make it outta here. Bein' too soft can make ya slip up."


A man opened an apartment room. No one was with him; he's alone. Or was he?

"And this is where I live."

A woman materialized next to him in a dust of blue. She didn't look human. She possessed fox ears and a fox tail. Servant Caster. She had already revealed that her True Name is Tamamo no Mae. In life, she had been called a demon fox. She serves the Silver King, Adolf K. Weismann. Despite him appearing to be in his early 20's, he was around 90. This is due to him not aging after he became King. He hurried the woman into the room and shut the door before anyone saw the Servant.

She was bowing to the silver-haired man. "Please don't judge me for what happened during my first life. I promise not to give you a reason to hate me."

Adolf was smiling. "Don't worry! I only care about who you are now, not the sins of your past."

Caster raised her head, amber eyes glittering with tears. "Thank you so much, Master!"

"Just call me Adolf. Or Addie, if you prefer."

The Servant embraced her Master in a tight hug. "Of course, Adolf!"

Neko, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, crossed her arms. "You're going to trust this fox-lady?"

Caster looked at the cat girl with a neutral expression. "And who's she?"

Neko huffed. "Someone who's senior to you!"

Adolf answered the question. "Neko here is my Clansman. She doesn't trust new people at first, but she'll warm up to you in time."

"And she knows about me?" Caster asked.

"She knows that you're my Servant, but not your True Name."

Neko was looking right at Adolf. "You mentioned she sinned in her first life. What did she do?"

"I'm afraid that only Caster has a right to tell you about it. You'll have to ask her."

Caster spoke up. "I'll only say that this time, should the world become my enemy, it'll be by my own will."

Neko cocked her head in confusion. "Huh? What does that mean?"

"Before, I was hated for a reason I was innocent in. But if it happens again, it will be because I wished it to be."

"So you'll help him fight in the Grail War?"

"I'm a frail woman. I can't go out and fight."

"Then what good are you?!" Neko demanded.

Adolf laughed nervously. "It's fine, Neko. I'm not looking to go out and fight either. Given how powerful Servants are, I should have one help you watch my back."

Neko huffed and crossed her arms. "I told you that I'd be able to take them down on my own!"

Caster narrowed her eyes at the cat-like Strain. "...Even Assassin would give you a one-sided ass kicking."


It was afternoon. Lancer was sitting in a bar stool next to Mikoto. Both were having a drink.

"He's followin' Mikoto around like some kinda dog."

It was true. Lancer had not left Mikoto's side once today. But calling him a dog...

Lancer stiffened up, ear twitching, and shot the speaker wearing the derby hat a glare so intense it should've killed him if the immense killing intent he radiated didn't. "What did you just call me?!"

"Woah! Why'd ya get mad all of a sudden?!" Masaomi Dewa, the one that was directed at, exclaimed.

Lancer bared his fangs. "I'll let ya off the hook just this once. But if you ever call me a dog again, you'll regret it a second later!"

Mikoto sighed. Looks like calling the Servant a dog is a big no-no. He grabbed a leather coat and put it on. "I'm gonna head out."

Lancer perked his head up. "Need me to come with ya?"

"I'll be fine without ya while not fightin'. Just stay here and talk to the Clansmen."

"You'll be killed if ya aren't careful."

"It won't be that easy since I'm a King."

"Well, don't think you're completely safe even durin' daytime. A Servant might sneak attack ya."

"Again, I'm a King. I can hold my own long enough to get away."

"...Fine. But telepathically summon me if ya find yourself against a Servant. Your clairvoyance only works on them, so if ya concentrate and can see the person's stats, it's a Servant. I'll come as fast as I can if ya need me."

"You guys can telepathically communicate?!" Saburouta Bandou demanded.

"Normally, only to our own Masters and vice versa. We can also open a channel to other Servants and Masters, but it's not often." He directed his attention back to Mikoto. "If ya don't think I'll make it in time, call me with a Command Seal and I'll teleport to ya."

"Whatever." With that, Mikoto exited the bar.

The Servant sighed. "I know night is when the killin's usually happen, but he's gotta learn he can't ever let his guard down durin' this..."

"It's really dangerous at night?" Eric Surt asked.

"The War's a secret magecraft ritual. Ordinary people can't learn about it. They're usually killed if they witness magecraft. Havin' fights at night reduces the chance for a cleanup need."

"If that's the case, why is there a possibility of Mikoto bein' attacked durin' the day?" That was Kousuke.

"There could be some Master-Servant pairs who want to win so badly that they don't care what time of day it is."

"Which are you?"

"I'll obey mage rules. But will Mikoto?"

Izumo chuckled. "I wouldn't worry about him. I actually don't know how much he even cares about the War."

"The Grail selected him to be a Master. He has to have some wish he wants granted."


About an hour later, Mikoto returned to the bar. He was holding a box.

"I bought ya some clothes," he said to Lancer. "They should fit ya."

"I'll go try 'em on then."

"I need to go upstairs too. I'll join ya."

A few minutes later, Anna got off a bar stool and went up the stairs. She went to the closed door to Mikoto's room and knocked. "Mikoto? I need to ask something. I'm coming in."

Tatara bolted to the stairs. Someone was changing in that room. "Anna!"

It was too late. The little girl opened the door. Inside wasn't Mikoto, but rather Servant Lancer. He was completely naked, aside from wearing a pair of boxers and trying to get his pants on.

It was at that point Tatara showed up behind Anna and covered her eyes. Did the spearman seriously forget to lock the door? Lancer was displaying no embarrassment at having been walked in on, especially by a little girl. Did he have no shame? Thankfully, it wasn't the worse-case scenario Tatara envisioned, where Anna would get an eyeful of the Servant with his boxers off. At least Anna probably didn't see that the knight was mostly naked since she wasn't looking through one of her marbles, which let her see all colors.

"Need somethin'?" Lancer asked casually.

"It's nothing," Tatara replied.

Anna was trying to remove the hand covering her eyes. "Tatara, I can't see."

Tatara laughed nervously. He supposes it's fine since it's not as bad as he feared. "Ah, sorry."

Tatara couldn't stop his eyes from looking over the Celt's bare body. He was really handsome, between his flawless skin and the lean muscles that were much more pronounced than Mikoto's. The Clansman shook his head. While this warrior is good-looking, Tatara is only interested the Red King.

"Take a picture. It'll last longer."

As soon as those words from the Servant hit Tatara's ears, the young man's face flushed. Was he really staring that long?

Anna glanced at the Clansman. "Tatara? Why is your face all red?"

It was at that moment Mikoto came out of the bathroom. "Somethin' happen? Huh? What happened to your face, Totsuka?"

Tatara gulped. If he wasn't careful this could turn ugly. He looked back to the bedroom. Lancer had the clothes on. He walked out of the bedroom.

"They needed to ask me somethin' is all. What? I can't be asked questions from the others now?"

Mikoto took a deep breath. "No, it's fine." He seems to have forgotten the fact Tatara was blushing. "I'm gonna go down. I forgot to buy cigarettes so I'm gonna bum some from Kusanagi."

"He'll get mad at you," Tatara pointed out.

"Let him."

Anna ran up by the King's side, following him down the stairs.

"Thanks for that," Tatara said to Lancer. "I was afraid King might find out and burn the bar in anger."

Lancer grinned. "No prob! I haven't had him as my Master a full day yet, but I've got a feelin' he isn't pleasant when he's pissed." Then the spearman barked a laugh. "Though not as bad as me! There's a reason I can be a Berserker!"

"You'll keep King safe, right? I have a feeling the next two weeks will be too dangerous for me to be present."

"Settin' aside the fact he's my Master, you're talkin' to Culann's Hound. Of course I will."

"I know you vowed to be his shield, but promise me you'll get him through this."

"I promise."

Lancer came down the stairs and out into the bar. He was wearing a red, button-up, collared shirt as well as a pair of black pants. He went over to his Master.

"You and Totsuka were up there for a while," Mikoto said.

"I had promised Tatara that I'd keep ya safe the whole War. I'm gonna try to keep it."

"Fine." Lancer suddenly seemed to freeze up. Mikoto glanced at him. "What's wrong?"

"It seems Ruler is talkin' to the Servants telepathically. Here's a rundown what she's sayin'." While most of it was a basic reminder on how a Holy Grail War works, some bits of info Mikoto didn't know about. "Because of the Kings and Clansmen, the people of the Tokyo Metropolis tend to turn a blind eye to supernatural events. Even so, the Servant fights must occur only at night so less innocent people could get involved in this shit show. Our insticts will try to have us battle it out in places where there shouldn't be people at night, but the fight could be brought onto the streets. The Dresden Slate has adjusted itself for this War. As such, the Swords of Damocles for each King will not degrade from killin' another King." That's when the link ended.

"This probably means other Kings are Masters," the young man called Yõ Chitose said.

Izumo tapped some ash from his cigarette into an ashtray. "But the question will be whether they'll stay at their base or if they'll move."

"I'll stay at the bar to protect it," Mikoto said. "But ya Clansmen should stay home until this is over."

"We're not gonna chicken out," Izumo replied. The others, even Tatara and Anna, nodded in agreement.

"Ya sure? You'll be bettin' your lives."

"So will you!" Tatara said back. "Don't worry, it'll all work out in the end. We're all here to support you."

"You'll stay out of the actual fightin'. This is my battle."

Lancer sighed before speaking up. "The question ya should be askin' yourself is how far you're willin' to go to get your wish granted."

"Hm?" Mikoto glanced at his Servant. "Whaddaya mean by that?"

"You'll find out soon. And some of it might break ya." He whispered the last part. Then he spoke at a normal volume. "So, are ya gonna fight?"

"I don't have a choice."

"Ya could sit it out, but you'll still be attacked."

Mikoto gave a small laugh. "We'll have to fight either way. So I'll join in."

Lancer looked at Izumo. "You should stock up on first-aid items. Gonna need 'em often."

"Fine, I'll go shoppin' tomorrow," Izumo replied. "Anythin' else?"

"Nope."

Rikio rubbed his belly. "Are we gonna eat soon? I'm starving!"

"Gee, what a surprise..." Misaki grumbled. Then his stomach growled and his face went red. The other male Clansmen and Lancer broke out laughing. "Hey! Leave me alone!"

Anna, suddenly feeling the need to do this, held up one of her red marbles, looking at Lancer through it. What she saw made her breath catch in her throat.

Lancer's blue hair had streaks of red and his armor was black with veins of red. The warrior's skin was as white as snow, like a corpse's. But what really stood out were his dull and lifeless yellow eyes. For some reason, it frightened the little girl. It was almost like she was looking right at a monster.

"Is somethin' wrong, Anna?" Izumo asked. Anna suddenly realized she was shaking fearfully. She blinked and the image of Lancer as he is presently took the place of whatever she saw in the marble. Did she only imagine it? And if not, what was that?!

"I'm fine. We should probably hurry and eat."


Tatara: Another bad dream?

Mikoto: I dreamt of ya on the battlefield.

Sukuna: Did you two seriously stay up all night?

Anna: It's called a hotdog.

Reisi: You Servants possess troublesome abilities.

Akira: Don't tell the Captain or lieutenant!

Jeanne: Are you capable of killing your Servant?

Cú Chulainn: Hey, can I try one of those?

Tamamo: I can arrange that.

Next chapter: The Day Before