It is a quiet afternoon at the Tohsaka mansion in Fuyuki. Tokiomi, the head of the Tohsaka family, is in his final preparations for the Holy Grail War. He is currently sitting in his office, wearing his classic crimson suit and pouring himself a glass of wine of the finest quality.
He takes a sip as he leans back in the comfortable chair of his desk, looking out the big window located just behind it. A view of the mansion's garden greets his eyes. There, he glances over the defensive mechanism of the area, gems placed on pedestals that he set up himself. The formation in which they are set up is perfect. Nothing could get through without triggering the alarm.
Tokiomi takes great pride in his work. Everything he does must be done with elegance and precision. He sees himself in a class above most people due to his family's status and their strong bloodline. Being a mage in this world, a powerful one at that, is a great honor and privilege.
The time to prove his superiority to the rest of the world of mages has finally come. He would be the first mage to activate the Great Grail and open the path to the swirl of the root. The place that is the exterior of the world outside the bounds of space and time where all souls from all living beings originate from and return to after they die. Reaching the Root is the ultimate ambition of the Magi and he would be the one to attain that power, before the Matous and the Einzberns.
The grandfather clock in his room strikes 7 PM.
"My, my, would you look at the time," he comments as he turns his swivelling chair back to its original position and puts the wineglass down.
He gets up while setting his suit straight and heading downstairs to the entrance hall.
Upon arriving, he finds his wife, Aoi, and his two daughters, Rin and Sakura, each with a suitcase. It is time to see them off. After all, it would no longer be safe for them to remain in Fuyuki with the Holy Grail War about to start. They would stay in the next city until the war is over.
It always pains him a little inside to see Sakura. According to mage tradition, only one heir may inherit the family's secrets and magic crest while the other is left in the dust. He has tried to put Sakura up for adoption but there was no other mage family to accept the offer. It is truly a shame to leave her tremendous potential untapped. Alas, it can't be helped.
Tokiomi accompanies them out of the house towards the gate where their car is already waiting. As Aoi loads in their suitcases in the back of the car, Tokiomi crouches down to eye level with Rin.
"Rin," he addresses her. "Once the war is over, I will teach you all about gem magic."
"Really?" Rin says, her eyes sparkling.
"Yes, your skills are improving," he replies. "So, I think you are ready for the next level."
His heart sinks as he looks at the expectant Sakura. She beamed at him, waiting to hear something similar.
"Sakura, you go on and be a good girl okay? Support your mother and your sister. I want you to be the one that protects them while I am gone," Tokiomi says this forcefully.
He wants her to feel important even though Rin is the one to inherit the family magics.
He bids each of the three farewells as they get in the car. He watches the vehicle drive off in the distance. Once it is out of sight, he turns around and walks back inside.
Now that they are gone, he is all alone in the Tohsaka mansion. All that is left for him to do now is to summon his Servant for the Holy Grail War. Fortunately, the catalyst he ordered arrived a few hours ago.
He walks downstairs into his workshop which is filled with all kinds of magical tomes, gems, devices, and potions. Each of these items has been handed down through many generations of the Tohsaka bloodline over the centuries. This is nothing short of a small treasury for any mage.
He looks at the catalyst, safely stored in a cushioned box on the table in the center of the room, a piece of an elephant's ivory horn that is over 2.000 years old. A Heroic Spirit from the Age of Gods would be very powerful but after much reconsideration, he has settled for one that is far more obedient and easier to control, despite his class.
He places the catalyst on the pedestal next to the summoning circle that he has prepared. Everything is ready now. Every element is in place. Now, it is finally time for the summoning. However, he will add a few additional lines to the incantation to ensure that the Heroic Spirit he is after will appear.
"For the elements, silver and iron,
For the foundation, stone and the Archduke of pacts,
And for my ancestor, the great Master Schweinorg.
A wall to block the falling wind.
Close the gate in the four directions.
Come forth from the Crown, into the forked road leading to the Kingdom.
Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill,
Repeat five times, but when each is filled, destroy it.
Heed my words,
My will creates your body,
And your sword creates my destiny.
If you heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason, then answer me!
I hereby swear,
That I shall be all that is good in the world,
That I shall defeat all evil in the world.
But let thine eyes be clouded,
Thou, who are trapped in a cage of madness,
And I, the summoner, who holds thy chains!
Thou Seventh Heaven, clad in the three great words of power,
Come forth from the circle of binding,
Guardian of the Heavenly Scales!"
The room is enveloped in blinding light that emerges out of the summoning circle for a brief moment. Once the light dissipates, Tokiomi gazes upon the Heroic Spirit he has summoned.
A hulking brute with pitch-black skin. His upper body is exposed and covered in what appears to be drawings of some kind one-eyed symbol. He wears several golden necklaces, armguards, bracelets, and rings. Around his waist is a torn purple cloak along with a golden armor. If he wouldn't be kneeling, his head would have collided with the ceiling due to his size. The Berserker-class Servant tilts his head to look at his new Master before letting out a growl of acknowledgment.
Tokiomi clasps his hands together. He successfully managed to summon the great rival of the King of Conquerors. Victory is surely within reach now.
"We have arrived, Mistress," a handmaiden in white robes announces as she pushes open the gate of the castle. "This is the castle that Jubstacheit has secured us for the Holy Grail War."
"Then make haste to set everything up," a woman in a white winter mantle orders the handmaidens. She has long white hair and ruby-red eyes.
"Yes, Mistress!" they reply in unison, carrying several suitcases inside while more of them unload the vehicles.
The Mistress pays her handmaidens not much mind. They are nothing more than tools to her. Homunculi that have been specifically made for serving her and doing her bidding in order to win the Holy Grail War. Every single one of them looks the exact same anyway. Every time she looks at one, it's like looking in a mirror. She is one of them. They are a tool to her just like she is a tool to the Einzberns.
However, she is destined to become a vessel for the Holy Grail. She is destined to realize the long-standing wish of the Einzberns to evoke the Holy Grail. Among the thousands upon thousands of homunculi bred for this very purpose, she was the one specimen to survive. As a result, 60% of her body consists of magic circuits. Surely she would best any other Master in this war in a fight with this much power.
She slowly walks through the entrance hall of the castle located just outside Fuyuki in the forest to become familiar with her new base of operations. She notices many similarities to the castle she has lived her whole life up until this point back in Germany. Her handmaidens rush pass her to set everything up. She just ignores them as she takes in the view. The sound of her footsteps on the marble floor is the same, the color pattern of white with gold lining on the walls is the same, and the furniture is the same as well.
She walks up the stairs to the second floor and takes a look out the window. Though it is somewhat cold outside during this time of the year, it is not nearly as cold as back home and there is not a sign of snow as of yet.
Nevertheless, she is curious about the outside world and the people that live in it. She has only seen glimpses of it after they arrived at the airport here in Japan. There are so many different people and colorful locations. She was never curious about such things before but her interest is piqued now that she got a taste of it. However, the Holy Grail War would come first and foremost. It is her duty after all.
The hours pass by as she walks through the castle and eventually rests in her room, enjoying the quiet moment she has to herself while drinking some tea. Then, a knock on the door can be heard.
"Come in," she says, taking another sip of her tea.
A handmaiden walks in and bows before speaking up, "Everything is ready for the summoning, Mistress."
"And the catalyst?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Arrived just now," the handmaiden responds.
"Very good," she replies, setting down her cup of tea and getting up. "Then let us not waste any time."
A short walk into the sublevel of the castle later, they arrive in the dreary room that has no furniture to speak of. Just a room with dark grey walls with attached candle holders lighting it. In the center was the summoning circle with an empty pedestal behind it.
One of the six handmaidens approaches her Mistress, holding a box out to her.
"I think you will be very pleased, Mistress," she announces. "Jubstacheit went to great lengths to recover this artifact that dates back to the Age of Gods.
"We shall see if that Heroic Spirit is as strong as the legend says. The Avenger-class Servant Angra Mainyu was a failure, let's hope this one is not," she remarks before pulling out a piece of cloth from the box and placing it on the pedestal.
She positions herself on the opposite end before concentrating. Red lines on all visible parts of her body begin to appear and glow as she holds out her hand.
"A base of silver and steel,
A foundation of stone and the Archduke of contracts,
And my ancestor, my great master, Schweinorg.
A wall to block the falling wind.
The gates of all four directions close.
From the Crown, come forth and follow the forked road to the Kingdom.
Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill,
Repeat five times, but destroy each when filled.
I hereby propose,
My will shall create thy body,
And thy sword shall create my fate.
Abiding by the summons of the Holy Grail,
If thou dost accede to this will and reason, then answer me!
I hereby swear,
I will be all that is good in the eternal world,
That I shall defeat all evil in the eternal world!
Thou Seventh Heaven, clad with the Great Trinity,
Come forth from the circle of constraint,
Guardian of the Heavenly Scales!"
A pillar of light shoots out of the summoning circle, making everyone cover their eyes for a second before it disappears. The tension is palpable as everyone looks at the person standing inside the circle now.
The new Mistress of this castle, Isasviel von Einzbern, looks at the Servant she has summoned. She is taken aback for a moment because this Heroic Spirit, though human in appearance, looked too perfect to be considered human.
Clad in white robes with long emerald green hair, the Servant has a blank expression on their face. It is unclear whether the Servant is male or female. Regardless, the Servant emantates raw power. The figure turns towards Isasviel with its piercing eyes. Fiery crimson meeting unyielding turquoise. The Servant bows to their new master.
"Servant, Lancer," the Servant states. "Use me as mercilessly as you like, Master. I do not mind in the slightest."
Kariya is nothing but a fool. At least that is what his brother Katsuki Matou thinks of him. Kariya has left the family and its magic behind him to start a new life without all of that because he was disgusted by it. Katsuki couldn't wrap his head around that idea. How could one abandon magic? How could one willingly give up power like that? He must have lost his mind or something. And to top it all off, he is also endangering the family with his selfish actions too.
The power of the Matou bloodline has been waning over the last 200 years. It's a miracle that both Kariya and Katsuki were born with magic circuits at all. The practice of passing down the family's magic crest has ceased generations ago. So, all they have now is the knowledge from magecraft books and their crest worms.
Their method of learning thaumaturgy is to carve it into their bodies through the crest worms that they keep in their basement instead of letting the mind absorb the knowledge through learning. Despite its torturous aspect, it is undeniable that it's an efficient method. If you survive, that is.
Now, with the Holy Grail War about to start, it is Katsuki's duty to partake in it and bring victory to the Matou. Not that he has much choice in the matter anyway. Zouken, his grandfather, has gone to great lengths to train Katsuki for this since his brother Kariya ran away like a coward. He has been obsessed with the Holy Grail for as long as Katsuki can think. His years of training have been hard because Zouken is a ruthless teacher. He has endured many physical and psychological trials to get to this point and he couldn't fail now.
He plans to win the Holy Grail by using any tactic necessary. The time has finally come for him to let loose and enjoy himself while crushing the competition.
Katsuki just returned home from his regular stroll through the city, though still intoxicated. He is usually in a good mood after that but the small stains of blood on his clothes bothered him.
If his memory isn't failing him, it's because he got into a fight again. He doesn't quite remember the reason though but whoever it was, he probably deserved it.
After walking upstairs and changing into a fresh set of clothes in his messy room, he does a once-over in the mirror and grins at himself.
Just then, the door to his room opens and his grandfather Zouken walks in. It slightly annoys Katsuki that he doesn't even knock but rather does as he pleases. He stops himself from accidentally mouthing off about it because he fears the consequences. Zouken may look like a crumbling old man that needs a cane just to walk but he is far stronger than he appears. Katsuki found that out the hard way in his early years.
"If you are done frolicking around in the city," Zouken says condescendingly. "You should begin with the preparations to summon your Servant. It's getting late."
"I know," he replies calmly. "I'll be there in a bit."
"Don't take too long, boy," Zouken chides him before leaving the room.
"I'll show him what I'm capable of once I have the Grail in my hands," Katsuki mutters to himself before heading to the basement.
He arrives shortly after in the basement. It's dark, dreary, and reminds him of a morgue with the disgusting stench of something rotten lingering in the air. The basement is currently empty, save for a table that his grandfather has set up there with a couple of things and the occasional crest worm crawling around. In the center of the room is the summoning circle, drawn in blood on the ground.
"I hope you are ready, Katsuki," Zouken announces as he picks up a piece of paper from the table.
"I will not disappoint you, grandfather," he says.
"We'll see about that," Zouken remarks. "Nevertheless, I have procured a very special catalyst just for you. See it as a reward for all your training."
He hands Katsuki the piece of paper, which turns out to be a letter by the looks of it. Katsuki glances over it but can't read its contents since the handwriting on it is questionable. However, he is able to read the name of the person who wrote this letter and smirks at the prospect of how much fun he is going to have with this "Heroic" Spirit.
Placing the catalyst on its intended spot, Katsuki gets into position as he stretches out his right hand. Zouken steps back to give him space.
"Let silver and steel be the essence,
Let stone and the Archduke of contracts be the foundation,
And for my ancestor, the great Master Schweinorg.
Let a wall rise against the falling wind,
Let the four cardinal gates close,
Let the three-forked road from the Crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.
Let it be declared now,
Your flesh shall serve under me,
And my fate shall be with your sword.
Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail,
Answer, if you would submit to this will and truth!
An oath shall be sworn here,
I shall attain all virtues of all Heaven,
I shall have dominion over all evils of all Hell.
From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by the three great words of power,
Come forth from the ring of restraint,
Guardian of the Heavenly Scales!"
A beam of light emanates from the circle which dissipates after a moment. Katsuki looks excited towards the silhouette that is kneeling inside the circle but is covered in smoke. He waits a few moments for it to go away and becomes irritated when it doesn't.
"What's with this smoke?" he says impatiently.
"Fool, that is not smoke," Zouken interjects. "This is fog."
As if on cue, the fog disperses around the Servant, covering the entire ground of the basement knee-deep in it. The Servant, a masked man with a dirty trench coat and a top-hat, raises his head. The coat is torn, ragged almost as if it is battleworn. The scent of fresh blood polluted Katsuki's nose and he sees his Servant holding a knife dripping with blood. The Servant is tall in stature, with an imposingly big figure. Katuski smirks and closed his eyes. This Servant has to be very powerful given that it is an intimidating figure even to him.
When he opens his eyes again, his Servant is nowhere to be found. Startled, he looks around but then feels a cold presence near him.
"Servant, Assassin," a deep voice whispers behind him. "Who do you need me to kill, Master?"
Turning around, Katsuki sees the personification of fear itself staring back at him. The war is his to win if his Servant is able to disappear without a trace, with strength to match his stealth skills.
Jeanne's footsteps echo on the marble floor as she walks curiously through the mansion. Back in her days, this place would be equivalent to a palace only the nobles or royalty could afford. It is a strange awakening for her. The last thing she remembers is the town of Rouen while drowning in the scorching fire of the stake. It is an outcome she has accepted. She doesn't lament it.
Her new Master, Zayne, is already asleep. She is eager to learn what kind of person her summoner is and about the many things in this era that is so far from the one she grew up in. The Grail only provides basic knowledge to the Servants of the era they are summoned in. Therefore, it is up to each Servant if they want to find out more.
Jeanne comes across several empty boxes that are stacked together in the living room. On the table is the casket where the catalyst for her summoning rests inside. She peeks inside and finds a small white piece of cloth. This is a small part of her flag. She still remembers the first time she took her standard in her hand in the name of the Lord.
After a few more moments of reminiscing, she puts it back to its resting place. Letting her gaze wander over the room one more time, she notices that a case is peeking out of one of the seemingly empty boxes. She walks over to the case and opens it.
She is confused at the contents of the case because she doesn't understand why these items are put together. The first thing is a smaller case with a revolver inside it. The handle of the weapon is black while the rest is colored in a steely silver. The cylinder, however, is colored in a light cyan.
Next is a bigger case that takes up most of the space. Jeanne finds herself unable to open the case, as it requires a number with 4 digits to open its seal.
Judging from two pictures she has found at the bottom after digging deeper, she realizes that this must be her Master's personal memorabilia. The first shows him at a very young age with a man next to him. Her first thought is that it must be his father but then it becomes apparent that they look nothing alike. Zayne's hair is dark brown, matching his eye color while the man has spiky white hair with blue eyes and seems to be of asian descent. The second must be more recent, perhaps 2 years ago. It shows him with a boy of the same age with slicked back black hair and green eyes, both grinning from ear to ear.
The last item is a letter addressed to Zayne. It looks to be several years old and the seal on it is not broken which indicates that he never opened it. She wants to open the letter but it wouldn't be right. She already rummaged through his personal items without permission and she feels bad for doing so.
Taking the photos and the letter to ask him tomorrow, she gets up and resumes her walk through the house but now there are questions lingering at the back of her mind. There seems to be a story behind the people in the photos and the unopened letter.
