The soft snow-laden ground crunches with every step Kirei takes. The dense snow obscures the stone pathway, hiding it from view. Fine layers of white conceal the wooden benches and the trees. Kirei casts his gaze further into the park. He sees his destination at the end of it - the Fuyuki Theater.

He stops for a moment to look around.

Silence. Darkness - save for the few lamps lighting the path.

No one in sight. No familiars either.

Assisting Tokiomi in the Holy Grail War is an unpleasant burden for Kirei. The only reason he is doing this is because Tokiomi and Father Risei asked him to. It's a good thing that he isn't actually a Master. The thought of having to deal with a Servant of his own is irritating.

But he still has to deal with a Servant, even though it's not his own. He is out in the field, pretending to be Berserker's Master while Tokiomi is cooped up in his house. Despite the fact that Berserker accompanies Kirei in spirit form for the time being, Tokiomi plans to use a Command Seal to recall him in case of an emergency.

Other than the short confrontation with Saber's Master, Kirei hasn't seen much action so far. All he has to do is gather information. Investigating the possible sites for the Holy Grail to appear is the last step of his task.

He stops in front of the entrance to the theater and sighs. What's even the point of all of this? This question has etched itself into his mind and repeated itself over and over. Years and years of searching for his purpose hasn't yielded any tangible results.

But, his faith in God gives him that small sliver of hope. He who forgives everything can surely bring him salvation at the end, despite his immoral tendencies and inability to find happiness like a normal person.

Snapping out of his reverie, Kirei steps into the entrance hall of the theater. After passing through the red-carpeted lobby and another hallway, he reaches the main hall. Hundreds of seats are neatly arranged in three blocks before the stage. More are higher up in an elevated position behind him. He presses a button on a control panel near the stage to light up the room.

This is one of the four possible sites where the Grail can be summoned. Naturally, the magical energy here is stronger, but there's something else. Kirei whips out three black keys in each hand and slowly scans his surroundings.

Berserker materializes next to him and stares down the seemingly empty space ahead. Kirei follows his gaze.

"Is there use in hiding when you have been found out?" Kirei says.

"I suppose there isn't," a feminine voice replies.

A woman with long white hair, pale gold eyes, wearing a long black and red coat appears on the stage. She has a katana around her waist in its equally colored sheath.

"A Servant?" Kirei says. "But who?"

"I am..." the woman says. "Saber."

"That is impossible," Kirei says. "The Holy Church confirmed the summoning of all seven Servants a while ago. And you were not among them."

"The Holy Church has lost its way," she says. "I am sure that a priest secretly allying with a Master doesn't conform with the rules of the war, does it?"

Kirei furrows his brows. Even though he wears gloves to conceal his hands to keep up the image of being Berserker's Master, this woman somehow sees through it. She knows too much. She has to die.

STR: B
AGL: A
LUK: C
END: C
MP: B
NP: A

More information, such as her identity would be necessary to formulate a winning strategy, but there's no time for that now. Especially if she's working together with someone else and shares her knowledge.

"Berserker," Kirei says. "Kill her."

"Darius III will not be able to slay me," the self-proclaimed Saber replies, putting her hand on her katana. "I suggest you leave."

The torches on Berserker's axes ignite as he points one towards Saber. One dozen undead soldiers arise from the ground and charge. Saber draws her left foot back, hand still on the sheathed katana.

She draws her sword with inhuman speed and cuts horizontally. The upper halves of three soldiers fall to the ground, but they continue to crawl towards her.

The swordswoman inhales.

She dashes forward, using the skulls of the crawling skeleton soldiers as stepping stones. Surrounded by the remaining nine, she thrusts her katana forward three times in quick succession.

Another soldier falls to pieces. She ducks the spear of the next one, sidesteps and transitions into a spin to slash across the back of another.

She parries the following strike from a sword, then sweeps her enemy's legs. She turns around and swipes from left using her momentum. Two soldiers lose their heads.

She tumbles forward and turns to the remaining enemies. The blade of her katana radiates a pitch-black glow with a red line in the middle. The blade artificially extends as she finishes the undead soldiers off with one final strike.

Exhale.

Without a word, she diverts her attention back to the priest and the maddened king.

Kirei is impressed with her swordsmanship. She's definitely not a pushover, but neither is Berserker.

The war axes of the behemoth catch green fire. He growls at Saber.

"So, you still wish to fight?" she asks. "Very well then."

Berserker charges toward her. About halfway, he jumps into the air to deliver one great overhead swing with both axes. The samurai jumps to the side just in time. The stage is shattered. Burnt splinters of wood fly about as the axes dig themselves into the ground.

The samurai goes in for a quick attack from Berserker's flank. The sword strikes true and burrows itself halfway into his body.

As blood gushes out, Berserker lets go of his axes and backhands her. The force of the punch sends her flying across the room into a wall along with her katana. Berserker doesn't even bother to glance at his wound and picks up his axes again.

The swordswoman gets back up. She draws her katana back in a high guard, its tip pointed at Berserker.

After a moment of complete silence, she dashes forward again. Berserker swipes his axes in a cross pattern at her in response, but she slides underneath the blades and his legs. The samurai slashes at his left heel as she passes by.

Berserker falls on his left knee and wildly swings with one axe behind him. The samurai falls back to evade, but a whistling noise grabs her attention.

She turns on the spot and deflects three black keys that come flying her way. She looks at the priest in disdain for using such underhanded tactics. However, that momentary distraction is all Berserker needed.

The ground below her erupts and two long ivory tusks knock her into the air. A massive skeletal war elephant emerges. It's covered by a dark purple cloth that has eye symbols drawn all over it. On top of its head are golden armor plates and on its back is a throne of the same material, surrounded by shields and spears.

Once the samurai falls back down due to gravity, the elephant hits her with its snout, sending her flying into the next wall.

Berserker climbs atop the elephant and stares down at his opponent. He lets out a battle roar as dozens upon dozens of soldiers begin to materialize all around her. She is skilled, but there is only so much superior skill can do in the face of overwhelming strength in numbers.

The samurai poses her sword on high guard. Her right foot is behind her and her knees are slightly bent. She's still and unmoving at that moment, like a predator that is about to pounce on its prey.

Her katana begins to glow again just like before, but it's different this time. There's a surge of magical energy around her.

"Boundless light piercing through the myriad realms," she says. "The decree of heaven will be severed. Zek-"

A loud gunshot echoes throughout the theater. Kirei immediately follows its source with his eyes just in time to see a shadowy figure vanish into the darkness. Then, several grenades scatter all over the place.

His instincts kicking in, Kirei immediately seeks cover, only to discover that those were decoys that simulate gunfire. However, one of those is a smoke bomb that was thrown where the samurai stood moments ago.

The undead soldiers charge into the smoke, but they find nothing there.

This is troublesome, Kirei thinks. A mysterious new Servant claims to be Saber and a man cloaked in red calling himself Archer. He has to report this to Father Risei and Tokiomi at once.

"We are leaving, Berserker," Kirei says, walking toward the exit.

The soldiers and the war elephant vanish. Berserker enters spirit form and follows, leaving behind the destruction inside the theater.


"I'm afraid that the freelancers have been wiped out, Sir," the employee says.

"Seriously?" James replies, almost shouting.

"Y-Yes Sir," the man answers. "Their bodies were discovered by the Holy Church."

"Tch, typical," James scoffs. "Good personnel is hard to find these days. These freelancers turned out to be more useless than I thought."

He leans back in his chair and sighs. Once he sees that the man is still standing there, he addresses him.

"Is there anything else?" James asks with slight irritation in his voice.

"N-No, Sir!" the man says.

"Then what are you standing around for?" he says. "Get back to work."

After leaving, he sighs again and says to himself, "Incompetence surrounds me."

Well, what's done is done. No use in getting more frustrated over it than necessary.

He gets up and heads over to the lounge in the next room to relax. A short walk along the white walls of the interior of the yacht, he reaches the door to the observation room and opens it.

A look of confusion spreads over his face when he sees dozens of bottles with various alcoholic beverages scattered all over the bar. He follows the trail with his gaze and sees the Servant he has summoned laying down on a couch, tasting one of the aforementioned drinks. He wears a white, V-neck shirt and grey, python pattern pants.

"Arch-" he says. "I mean, my king. What are you doing here?"

Gilgamesh doesn't spare him a glance, but instead inspects the glass he is holding in his hand.

"Hmph, that should be obvious," the king replies. "I am sampling this era's beverages."

"I take it that you have finished your explorations?" James says, walking over to the bar. "Is the modern world to your liking?"

"It is unspeakably ugly," Gilgamesh replies. "However, there are ways for me to enjoy it."

"But what about the Holy Grail War?" James asks. "Have you already ended the lives of the scoundrels that are after the omnipotent wish-granting device?"

"As of now, I see no worth in the Grail," Gilgamesh says indifferently. "But even if it turns out to be trash, that is fine. For I have found another form of entertainment."

"What do you mean by that?" he asks.

"There is at least one Heroic Spirit present in this war worthy to face me," Gilgamesh says. "Moreover, a human that has caught my eye. I shall observe where that one's path will lead, be it in hope or despair. Rejoice, it appears that you did not waste my time by summoning me after all."

The Holy Grail War is a serious battle to the death, not some show to indulge in. And Servants are nothing more than disposable minions. Considering how powerful he is, Gilgamesh should have killed off the competition in one night. However, James doesn't have the guts to say these thoughts out loud.

"I see," James says, grasping the drink in his hand a little more tightly. "I shall leave you to it then, King of Heroes."

It's already humiliating that a mage has to listen to what his familiar has to say. However, it is the strongest of all familiars. As long as he patiently waits and plays it smart, he'll hold the Grail in his hands eventually.

Gilgamesh casts his gaze to the door after his contractor left. "What a boring man."

The fact that Servants cannot choose their contractor is a flaw in the Holy Grail War. This man completely fails to challenge his own limits, feeling satisfied in his stagnation. Were it not for the fact that he pays the king every due respect and provides him with the necessary mana to maintain his perfect form as an offering, he would have cut him into eight long ago.

But Gilgamesh's thoughts lie somewhere else for the moment. He was startled back at the park when he realized that his most trusted weapon and friend is missing from his treasury. For all the possibilities in heaven and earth, there can be only one explanation for this.

What else could this happenstance be, but proof of his kingship. However, it feels odd to be reunited like this after Enkidu's body and soul were destroyed by the gods so long ago.

Gilgamesh smirks. Claiming the Holy Grail is just a secondary objective to him at this point. He wants to savor this entertaining situation as long as possible. That is the meaning of pleasure, after all.


Nicolas flips through the files he collected on his desk. General information about the Holy Grail War, the leylines of Fuyuki, suitable locations for the Grail to appear, and what history there is about the previous wars.

He skims over some of the information again. The desk lamp provides the only source of light in this office that once belonged to the manager of the restaurant they are using. He pauses for a moment to rub his eyes. He has spent the better part of the day in this office to gather and research whatever there is to know about his adversaries.

Just as he moves on to the next file, a puff of smoke emerges in front of the desk and quickly takes shape.

"Miss me?" Caster smirks.

"Hardly," Nicolas replies. "I was just about to go through the Master profiles."

"That's fine," Caster says. "I have acclimated to this era and picked up some more sheep while I was outside. Don't worry, no one will miss them. They are people that either lived alone or did not have a home to begin with."

Nicolas takes out a few sheets of paper, each holding a picture of a person on the top left.

"There is nothing noteworthy about Tokiomi Tohsaka, Isasviel von Einzbern, and James Lawson," Nicolas says, brushing them to the side. "They are just like the other mages all over the world: arrogant, complacent, and secretive."

He brushes their profiles to the side. Caster walks around the desk to stand next to him and picks them up.

"They sound boring," he says, glancing over each of them before tossing them to the side.

"The Matou Master, Katsuki, is not a threat himself," Nicolas continues. "The patriarch of the Matou family, Zouken, is another matter entirely. I have placed several ravens around his estate to keep an eye on him just in case."

Caster picks up the profile of the old, decrepit man. "Another fool seeking immortality eh?"

"I doubt that he would just sit on the sidelines after living for centuries," Nicolas says. "As for Rider's Master, she is merely a child with no notable abilities. How one such as her managed to be chosen by the Grail, I have no idea."

"Truly this must be a twist of fate," Caster says, spreading his arms to the side. "Having such a young girl forced to participate in a battle to the death. She can see all the gruesome facets of humans killing each other for their selfish desires from a front-row seat. Such despair!"

Nicolas rolls his eyes at the comment that doesn't contribute to what he is saying in any way.

"Take this seriously, would you?" he says.

"I would not be here if I was not taking this seriously," Caster replies. "Anyway, what about the last Master?"

"Zayne Kinami," Nicolas says, grabbing the last sheet of paper. "A freelancer that was working for the Clock Tower before the start of this war. Out of all the Masters, he is the most... enigmatic one."

"How so?" Caster asks looking over his Master's shoulders.

"From the age of 10 until now, he has been working as a freelancer for the Clock Tower," Nicolas elaborates. "From the age of 4 to 10, he grew up in an orphanage. However..."

Nicolas narrows his eyes on the paper.

"No matter how deep I dug, there is absolutely nothing about him before he appeared in that orphanage," he concludes.

"Hmm, does it really matter where he came from?" Caster says nonchalantly.

"I suppose it doesn't," Nicolas says. "But the fact that there is nothing to be found is... odd."

"Well, if it troubles you that much, I guess it can't be helped," Caster says. "I could use my Noble Phantasm on him if the opportunity presents itself. The answer might lie in his subconsciousness. Though before we get rid of him, I want to break that Saint of his."

"I am fairly certain that she has a high Magic Resistance," Nicolas says. "Fighting her head-on would be tantamount to suicide."

"Who says I will fight her head-on?" Caster smirks.

"Either way, I want to try out something else first," Nicolas replies. "Patience, your time will come."

He gets up from the desk, folds his hands behind his back and walks toward the door of the office.

"Follow me, there are a few things we need to prepare in advance," he says. "I am fairly certain that the Holy Church is going to make an announcement very soon. We will use that to our advantage."