London, UK, 2043

If the rapid knocking on the door and muffled shouts of my name hadn't been enough to wake me, then the sound of the door to my room bursting open definitely did it.

"Rebecca! Rebecca! You need to see-"

"I don't need to do a god damn thing" I grumbled from beneath the bedsheets. "I knew giving you a key to my apartment was a mistake…"

"Ok, no, you don't get to be mad at me for this. Get out of bed; it's already past noon!"

"It's also criminal to wake me up before two on a Saturday."

Poking my eyes out from beneath the sheets, I could see Travis standing in the doorway. Barges his way into my room and gives me grief for trying to enjoy my weekend, yet there he is looking like an unkempt buffoon. As usual.

"Get out of here and go buy a comb already" I dived back beneath the sheets. "Jeez, even you should be able to afford a plastic one."

"Yes, yes, my hair is a mess and my shirt is wrinkled" I could feel Travis roll his eyes even in my semi-conscious state. "Anything else you'd like to tell me for the thousandth time, mother?"

"Fuck you."

"Alright, fine. Here I am, trying to be nice, but if you're not interested in this, then…" Travis sounded smug as he let himself trail off.

From beneath the sheets I could hear a faint rustling sound.

"Wait" I groaned, finally throwing off the covers and reaching for my phone to turn off my alarm. "What is it?"

"Why don't you actually look this way and see for yourself, and put some clothes on!"

"Please, this isn't the first time you've seen me in underwear" now it was my turn to roll my eyes as I returned my phone to its spot on my nightstand.

"That doesn't make this better!"

"Then maybe don't just barge into my room next time" I sighed, turning to face him. "Now what- …wait, is that it?"

"If by that you're referring to this gold page in my hand here, then yes, this is it" Travis confirmed with a smug grin.

"Great… woken up over some paper…" now I was just annoyed. "That's totally worth waking me up for. Why should I care about… whatever the hell that even is? It's just a yellow piece of- …paper…"

…Ok, in my defense, I was still trying to get my brain going. It was only as I was bitching him out and saying it for the second time that my brain finally caught up and made the connections. Then it all made sense: his smug tone and grin, the fact he was sweaty enough I could visibly see it, and the fact he decided to come wake me up despite knowing damn well I sleep in on the weekend.

The apartment just fell silent as I sat there for a moment, staring at the page in his hand and trying to process the fact that this wasn't just a dream. Damn git didn't even bother saying anything himself either. The amusement he found in seeing my mind trying to catch up to my mouth was very clearly visible.

I was going to get him back for this later, but for now…

"Holy shit" I shouted as I bolted out of bed and snatched the page right from his hand. "You're lying! There's no way this is-"

"One of those mysterious invitations that were spread all over Clock Tower" Travis confirmed.

"But… how" I questioned. "The lords did a thorough search and confiscated them all! I didn't even see one myself, just heard about them, they were taken away so quick!"

"Well, looks like they missed at least one" Travis laughed.

"Where did you even find this?!"

"In the library, tucked into one of those massive books on magecraft fundamentals."

That caused me to stop and turn my attention back onto him.

"You serious?"

"Dead serious" he nodded, all the previous smugness in his voice gone. "I don't know why it was there or how the lords missed it, but I'm certainly not complaining."

"…How did it even get there in the first place? You don't think a student tucked it in there, do you?"

"How am I supposed to know" Travis sighed, taking a couple steps back and closing the door. "From what I've heard, pages were found in… weirder places. Now go put some clothes on already! I can't have a serious conversation with you basically naked!"

"Alright, alright…" I sighed, placing the page onto my bed before turning towards my wardrobe. "…What are you going to do now, though? I know most people are saying this is just a prank and-"

"Like hell this is just a prank" Travis' shouting was muffled a bit thanks to the closed door. "Look at how swiftly the lords reacted to get rid of them all! This has to be legit!"

"But a Holy Grail War? Now, of all times? I hea- heard there hasn't been one in decades."

"I mean, yeah, but-"

"Not to mention that... even if a group of magi could get one up and running, the act of posting up invitations doesn't even make sense! The grail is supposed to choose the masters, isn't it?"

"Yes, but maybe they don't know that. It's not like many people study up on Holy Grail Wars now."

"Besides you, you mean?"

"Exactly!"

"Yeah, ok…" I sighed, though I couldn't stop a slight grin from forming as I opened my bedroom door.

"Why are you now doubting this? You were just as excited as I was moments ago."

"Yeah, but only because I wanted to actually see what one of these looked like" I laughed as Travis began to pout a little. "I'm with the others on this: it's not a real thing."

"Well, I still think it's legit" Travis walked past me and grabbed the page off my bed. "So I'm going to go talk to someone about it."

"Like who" I stared at him. "One of the lords? You go to one of them with that and they're going to tell you the same thing I did, and take that away from you for good measure. Hell, considering how busy they are with trying to prevent the end of the world and all, it wouldn't surprise me if you got in trouble for it as well, if for nothing other than wasting their time with this obvious nonsense!"

"…I know Lord El-Melloi can be… crabby… at times, but he's never-"

"Lord El-Melloi isn't even here, moron. He's still in Japan, helping out that… er, whatever her name is."

"You mean Tohsaka."

"That's the one" I snapped my fingers. "He's still helping out that Tohsaka lady try to keep some semblance of Association presence in Japan."

"He's still not back yet" Travis moaned, plopping down onto my bed. "Shit…"

"Yeah… so what's the plan now? If you're trying to talk to one of the lords, the Democratic Faction would be the way to go, I'd think. Like, if you really try to force the issue, then just maybe someone like Lord Trambelio-"

"No shot" Travis looked terrified at even the thought of doing such a thing. "The only lord I'd even consider trying to talk to is El-Melloi! Any other lord would swat someone like me away as they would a fly!"

"Well, you can't speak to Lord El-Melloi, so…"

"Then… Then I'll go talk to one of the professors! Professor Maxwell, from Modern Magecraft Theory! He's usual- usually fairly open…"

"…You still look like you're going to shit yourself just thinking about it" I couldn't help but giggle as Travis' face went pale as a ghost.

"Do you blame me?!"

"Yes" I laughed harder. "You're doing this to yourself! Who else is there to blame?!"

"Haa…"

"…So? What are you going to do?"

"…"

"…"

"…I'm going to go see him" Travis seemed to regain a slight amount of confidence as he stood up. "If he blows me off, he blows me off. At least he's not likely to blow up at me."

"And if he tells you there's nothing to this?"

"…Then until Lord El-Melloi comes back, I'll leave this be."

"Well, sounds like you have everything sorted then. Good luck" I grinned as I stepped aside so he could leave.

"Come with me."

"…What?"

"Come with me" he repeated, going for what I could only guess was his best pleading voice and puppy-dog eyes.

"No! Why would I go with you for something like this?!"

"Because we're friends!"

"So?!"

"Friends are supposed to be there for one another in their time of need, aren't they?! I need your help here, Rebecca!"

"To talk to Professor Maxwell?"

"About this, yes!"

"…"

"Please…"

"…Ugh, fine" I groaned. "Seeing as I'm already up and have nothing better to do… But you owe me for this, got it?"

"Sure thing" Travis grinned as he walked past me and into the kitchen area.

"You even know where Professor Maxwell is today" I questioned, moving to grab my purse and phone.

"He should be in his office, no? Man basically lives in it, from what I know."

"Which doesn't sound like a lot, from where I'm standing…" I sighed.

It was only now that this matter was more or less settled that I finally noticed something that caused my right eye to twitch.

"Travis…"

"Yeah?"

"Why… the hell… did you not take your shoes off?!"


The walk over to the Faculty of Modern Magecraft wasn't terribly long, fortunately; just over a half-hour. Slur Street, as the area was more commonly called, was also impossible to miss. The buildings had always been… archaic... from what I'd been told, even back decades ago. Nowadays… I honestly found it to be a minor miracle the buildings was still standing. Even the more modern looking buildings on the eastern side of the area were clearly in need of renovations, and the less said about the other buildings the better. Supposedly, as funds were reallocated to deal with the ever-growing emergency that was the leylines drying up, the Faculty of Modern Magecraft was the first to suffer cuts. Over the years, it was the faculty which had suffered the most, by far.

"Man, this place always makes me feel worthless" I muttered to Travis as we headed towards Professor Maxwell's office. "Like, this is the best the leading authority of western magecraft can do?"

"Careful what you say" Travis warned, matching me in whispering. "Never know who's around, or listening in."

"Can't be that many people around on a Saturday, at a time like this."

"It's not the number of people, but rather the individuals. More and more people who tended to avoid the Association where they could are showing up for one reason or another, and who knows what they're capable of, or who they're allies with."

I couldn't really argue with the truth in the statement, so I chose to bite my tongue and just finish the rest of the walk in silence.

The building that served as both office and living space for the professors, and even Lord El-Melloi himself, though he rarely used it nowadays, was easily the most preserved look building in the area. That was good, as it meant we didn't have to worry about the door coming off its hinges, or the ceiling coming down on top of us.

…Ok, maybe a tad of an exaggeration on my part, but really, this whole area of the Clock Tower was a dump, and that was putting it kindly.

The silence within the building didn't surprise me. It wasn't the liveliest of places by design, and even for meetings with one of the professors, or the lord, there were better places to have them. But, for better or worse, there was one man who more or less made this place his home, and pretty much always had his door open for his students. Fortunately for Travis, that man was Professor Maxwell.

"…Or maybe he is out today?"

Travis posed the question mostly to himself as we stared at the closed door to Professor Maxwell's office. Tried as he might, though, he couldn't help his eyes from wandering to look over to me, where my glare met him, full force.

"Travis" I hissed at him as he looked away.

"W-Well hold on! Let us try knocking first!"

The look on Travis' face turned for the worse when the first round of knocking generated no response. He immediately followed it up with another round of knocking, as well as a shout.

"Professor Maxwell?! Professor Maxwell, are you-"

"Yes, yes, I'm here" the familiar voice of Professor Maxwell called out from inside the office. "No need to shout, the door's unlocked."

"Sorry Professor…" Travis sounded a bit embarrassed as he opened the door and we stepped into the office.

I was shocked as I entered. It was far from the first time I'd been in Professor Maxwell's office, but it had never looked like… well, this. Professor Maxwell was a very neat and clean individual, and as such his office was usually meticulous. Maybe the occasional binder or two on the little coffee table in the middle of the office, but that would be the extent of it.

Now though… the office looked as though it'd be struck by a tornado. Forget binders, loose pages were strewn all over the place! The coffee table was buried under a literal mountain of papers. Books were scattered all over the office, opened to various places. Hell, I could barely see Professor Maxwell sitting at his desk. Most shocking of all, he was using a modern looking laptop!

"Just a moment…" Professor Maxwell sighed, looking visibly exhausted as he stared at his laptop screen.

The string of curses that followed only a few moments later were rather impressive, considering I couldn't recall even a single time I'd ever heard the man curse since I'd started at the Clock Tower. Seemingly accepting defeat, Professor Maxwell looked up from the laptop.

"Well, this is a surprise" he smiled slightly as he spotted us standing near the door. "Feels like I haven't seen either of you two in years, even though only a few weeks would likely be more accurate. Please, come in and, er… well, find a seat where you can. Terribly sorry about the mess."

"It's not a problem, Professor" Travis smiled as I brushed enough papers off to the far end of the sofa so there was enough room for the two of us to sit. "Though, I don't think I've ever seen you so busy. Or so stressed…"

"Yes, well…" he sighed as he shoved a random pile of pages off to the side of the other sofa. "The leyline issue doesn't appear to have any solution in sight. The Church is pressing on Association territory in France, though officially there is still no war, of course. Little contact with Atlas. None from the Wandering Sea. Really, the only thing that seems to be going even remotely well, so to speak, is the… stable... relation we have with both the Spiral Manor and the American Institute…"

"No time for you own research, I take it" I asked as he sat down.

"No! No, no, no…" Professor Maxwell chuckled. "Fear that will remain the case for a while longer, unfortunately. Ah, but never mind all that! You two certainly aren't here to talk about my current woes. Tell me, what can I help you two with? Studies are still going well, I presume."

"Yes, are studies are going well" Travis nodded as he started to fish around in his pocket. "Truthfully, Professor, well… this is what I wanted to ask you about."

The moment Travis pulled out the gold page Professor Maxwell visibly stiffened, and a deathly silence took hold over the office.

"…Where did you get that" Professor Maxwell finally asked in a low, stern voice.

"I found it tucked inside one of the books in the library, I swear" Travis sounded slightly panicked as Professor Maxwell's face changed from a look of shock to a cold, steely gaze. "I didn't steal it or-"

"Of course you didn't steal it" Professor Maxwell dismissed. "As if you were capable of stealing anything from under the noses of the other professors, let alone any of the lords!"

"I have to know, Professor… Is this-"

"That is nothing more than a childish prank, Travis. Best you just hand it over to me and forget about it. Same goes for you, Rebecca."

"But if it's really all just a prank, then why were all the lords so serious about it" Travis pushed on, pulling the page closer to his chest as Professor Maxwell reached out to take it from him. "Why were all the professors and lords sweeping through the entirety of the Clock Tower looking for all the pages?"

"Because we don't need any of the students getting any crazy ideas" Professor Maxwell leaned back and sighed. "The Association has enough difficulties to content with as is at the moment. Last thing it needs are students with no proper understanding of what a Holy Grail War even is running around and causing trouble."

"But-"

"Travis, how much do you know about the Holy Grail War ritual?"

"I… I know that it's deadly, and dangerous. I know it works towards utilizing the Third Magic to reach the root. I know that-"

"That it's incredibly mana intensive to even get one started?"

"…Yes."

"Then you should know that it's not possible for a Holy Grail War to even be started, given the current situation globally with the leylines."

"But the Americas-"

"Have leylines that are in better condition, yes, that is true. However, the… American Holy Grail War… only occurred some two decades ago. It would take decades still for even the Americans to hold another Holy Grail War, and by then who even knows if their leylines will be capable of undertaking such an endeavor."

Travis visibly deflated as it appeared that everything he knew deep down was just confirmed in such an undeniable way.

"Ah, but you shouldn't even be wanting to join one in the first place" Professor Maxwell continued. "Ask Lord El-Melloi the next time you see him, and even he will tell you: Holy Grail Wars are nothing but trouble. Consider yourself fortunate that this is just a miserable prank."

"Professor" I spoke up as he was reaching to take the page from Travis again. "You're hiding something."

"We're magi, Rebecca. We're all hiding things."

"That's a terrible deflection, Professor. The lords are trying to hide it, but they're actually worried about this, aren't they?"

More silence as time seemingly came to a complete stop within the confines of the office.

"They are worried about this" my eyes began to widen as the implication of the silence hit me. "Professor, there's some legitimacy to this, isn't there?"

"Or the lords think there is, at least" Travis quickly added. "Please, Professor! …We just want to know the truth. What is going on with these pages?"

Professor Maxwell closed his eyes for what I could only assume was an internal debate on exactly how much he should and was allowed to say, or if he should just deny everything, take the page, and kick us out of here. Eventually he opened his eyes, walked over to the office door, and locked it.

"This conversation… never happened" he spoke hesitantly, the key to his office still in the doorknob. "Is that understood?"

"Understood" both Travis and I responded in unison.

"…Alright then."

I felt a slight tingle run down my spine as Professor Maxwell muttered a brief chant under his breath and threw up a bounded field.

"The Association is in a worse position that anyone save the lords, and those close to them, know" Professor Maxwell continued as he returned to his spot on the other sofa. "May be unofficial, but we're at war with the Church, and right now, we're losing. A good portion of southern France no longer has any magi families with ties to the Association present, and we might lose all of Spain and Portugal in a matter of months. To make matters worse, there's been whispers that the Yggdmillennia clan and their branch families are planning to declare war, blaming the Association for the degradation of the leylines in Europe."

I was stunned into silence as Professor Maxwell explained the current situation. I mean, I'd always figured everything wasn't quite as stable as the professors and lords let on, but still…

"…Holy shit" Travis muttered, giving voice to my own thoughts.

"Of course, such a notion is ridiculous. The leylines are degrading globally, even in the Americas where the leylines were largely untapped for millennia. The idea that the Association is the sole cause of it, or even the main cause of it, is utter nonsense, but Yggdmillennia has never had the greatest of relations with the Association, and with the current situation being what it is, I can't say I'm surprised they're considering capitalizing on this opportunity to take the Association down a peg. Or try to, at any rate."

"What about Atlas" I asked. "What are they doing about the leyline issue?"

"Not working with us, that's for certain" Professor Maxwell sighed. "They're becoming increasingly insular, likely believing that the Clock Tower is incapable of finding a solution to the leyline problem, or even in being any assistance in their own search. Some think they're also looking to go to war in an attempt to become the heart of the Association, but I personally don't buy that. Relations are tenuous, as they've always been, but Atlas cares more about preservation than domination."

"But Atlas never predicted such a situation in the first place? Aren't they all about preventing their doomsday predictions?"

"They are, and it would appear they didn't. Not that anyone from the Clock Tower can confirm such things… Far as I'm aware, they're just as stumped as we are as to why it all started, and are even more concerned with preventing it. …I hope it comes as no surprise that we have heard nothing from the Wandering Sea."

"Of course. That would only make sense" Travis nodded.

"Truly, when it comes to external relations, the only good news is that both the Spiral Manor and the American Institute have agreed to a stance of neutrality. How long that will last, I cannot say, but for now both the Spiral Manor and the American Institute seem to have their own issues to deal with, and are more than happy to leave us alone."

"Officially, you mean" I asked.

"Yes, officially" Professor Maxwell smiled a bit. "I've no doubt they have planted spies among those currently at the Clock Tower. Unfortunately, our own attempts to plant spies have been… lacking, let's say."

"Lacking how?"

"Well, it should come as no surprise that we simply can't plant spies within the Spiral Manor. The Association's presence in Asia has never been big, and even the few families from the area who are tied to the Association use the teachings of the Association, not those of the Spiral Manor."

"But what about the American Institute? Surely, they can be infiltrated relatively easily, seeing as they are a new organization" Travis pointed out.

"New, yes. Easy to infiltrate, no. They may be new, and low on membership, relatively speaking, but the current head of the American Institute, Miss Sortiara Levesque, is very… guarded with recruitment into her organization."

"Guarded as in… she only allows in certain families with certain kinds of magecraft backgrounds, or…?"

"The exact opposite, actually. The American Institute is open to any magus who wishes to join, from anywhere in the world. It's small, but… varied. You'll find teachings in line with the Clock Tower, certainly, but you also find teachings ranging from Atlas to the Spiral Manor, all under the same roof. Thaumaturgy, Atlas Alchemy, Easter Philosophy… everything, really, can be found there. It's… unique… in that respect. It's even open to more… tribalistic practices, such as Shamanism and different forms of Witchcraft. No… the issue isn't that it's closed off to most people. Miss Levesque is certainly more careful about accepting people with previous ties to the Association, and specifically the Clock Tower, but there are magi within the Institute with such backgrounds. The issue is that, to be accepted in, you must move your entire family to the Americas, no exception."

"What?! That's… That's insane" I protested. "That would mean-"

"Immigrating away from your ancestral lands, and the foundation of your magecraft, yes" Professor Maxwell finished. "America lacks foundations, and as such, the potency of a family's magecraft would degrade over time. However, this enables the Institute to keep an eye on not just you, but your family-"

"Take them hostage, more like" Travis spat.

"…Yes, but I would be very surprised if someone like Miss Levesque didn't understand the importance of magecraft foundations. Her parents used to be part of the Association, back in the day, and lived in their ancestral homeland of France. It is likely she is attempting to establish proper foundations for magecraft in the Americas, and as such, needs more than just individuals with their own forms of magecraft. She needs families present to try and turn the Americas into new ancestral homelands. Of course, that causes an issue when trying to plant spies, as-"

"No one from the Association would ever commit to doing such a thing just to be a spy" I finished.

"Exactly" Professor Maxwell nodded. "Remember, I never said this, but I will hand it to Miss Levesque on this aspect: she has a very well-made system of recruitment."

"And some magi will join because the Americas still have decent leylines, and what does it matter if the family magecraft degrades over generations due to a lack of a proper foundation if you can't practice it now due to the leylines drying up."

"So it seems, considering the Institute is still standing."

"...Is it true that they beat back the Church" Travis asked. "I heard the two were at war initially, and that the Church lost, but that can't be real… right?"

"Oh, it's quite true" Professor Maxwell nodded. "Now, before you start worrying about the power of the Institute, I would like to point out that they only won because the Church severely underestimated the power of the magi who were there, and because there are forms of magecraft they have next to no experience in dealing with, such as Easter Philosophy magecraft. Those two facts were key to the Institute surviving that war, and even then, it was only just barely. To the Church, despite the loss, the Association is still the bigger threat, which is why we're now stuck dealing with them. Take that as another sign that the American Institute is a future problem, not a current one."

"I take it all of that is what most of… this… is for" I asked, looking around the office at the sea of papers.

"Hmm… I would say about half of it all pertains to those aspects" Professor Maxwell corrected. "Some of them are pertaining to the growing issue in Japan."

"Yeah, we all know Lord El-Melloi went at the request of the ward of Fuyuki, but what is taking so long over there" Travis asked.

"…I don't want to say too much, because it is a developing situation that I am assisting Lord El-Melloi with, but you've heard about the Association trying to keep its influence alive in Japan is correct."

"Yes… I'm sensing a but though?"

"But the why is the issue. It's also not just Lord El-Melloi, but also some of his most trusted students, from back in the day. You know about the Holy Grail War ritual, so you know of the Makiri, yes?"

"One of the three founding families, besides the Tohsakas and the Einzberns."

"You're aware that they took on the name Matou after settling in Fuyuki?"

"Yes."

"And you're away that the last of the Matou line passed away a few months ago?"

"Yes… Sorry Professor, but I'm not sure where this is supposed to be going?"

"The death of Miss Matou was… not natural, if you get my meaning…"

Shocked and numb was the only way to describe what Travis and I were feeling as Professor Maxwell's solemn expression stared back at us.

"You mean… she was assassinated" I asked, managing to regain the ability to speak before Travis.

"…That is the current belief, yes" Professor Maxwell nodded in confirmation. "As to who's responsible, we don't know. There are multiple different groups of magi within Japan, but never have they acted within Fuyuki, acknowledging the fact it was under Association jurisdiction. Fuyuki is important for multiple reason to the Association. For one, it serves as a loyal bastion of Association influence within Asia, and has for centuries now. Two, the outskirts of Fuyuki are home to one of the castles of the Einzberns. Long out of use by them, of course, but the Association is loath to simply abandon it, even if the Einzberns seemingly lost all interest in whatever remains there. Three, while the Fuyuki Holy Grail War was dismantled, it is hoped, at least by some within the Association, that once Miss Tohsaka passes away, the next Tohsaka can be… convinced… to re-establish the Fuyuki system, leylines permitting. Now, normally the Association wouldn't particularly care about a magus being assassinated, even if they're from one of the three founding families. After all, the Holy Grail War ritual is nothing but a minor blip to a majority of magi within the Association. The issue is placating Miss Tohsaka."

"…Why would Miss Tohsaka need to be placated?"

"Well, for one, a magus within her territory was assassinated, meaning a magus, or multiple magi, more likely, acted within her territory without declaring their presence, which is most… inappropriate."

"But surely that alone wouldn't warrant such a response" Travis pointed out.

"Correct" Professor Maxwell nodded. "Unfortunately, it's more… personal for Miss Tohsaka than that."

"I mean, the Tohsaka and the Matou both lived in Fuyuki for centuries. I suppose it's only natural their families have some kind of friendship going."

"It's more than friendship. Matou she may have been in name, but Matou she was not by blood. Miss Sakura Matou was in fact born a Tohsaka, specifically-"

"Rin Tohsaka's sister" I muttered.

"Indeed. Such is the predicament of the Association: assist Miss Tohsaka in solving the mystery surrounding her sister's murder, or risk her turning her back on the Association. Of course, should it turn out assassination is the case, then it is likely Tohsaka will seek out vengeance, thus dragging the Association into a war in Japan with an as yet unknown enemy."

"Is it worth it then?"

"…I personally think so. I don't think we can afford to lose any more influence globally, at least. It would never be my call to make though" Professor Maxwell sighed. "But yes, that should catch you both up with the actual, current global situation for the Association."

"I mean… that's all really good to know" I hesitated. "But… what does any of that have to do with the gold page?"

"Because it serves as the background context for why the Association, and thus the lords, are all on edge. We're already in a big enough mess as it is, and then only a few days ago, those things are discovered, scattered all over the Clock Tower. …Have either of you two actually given it a serious read over?"

"Um… not really…" Travis admitted.

"Then read what the front says" Professor Maxwell sighed.


The Age of Magecraft nears its end. The leylines are dying, and magecraft itself withers away alongside it. For years, I have watched you magi across the world scramble in a vain attempt to save the last vestiges of your way of life. It is sad. It is pitiable. I pity you all, magi of Earth. Thus, I have decided to reveal myself to you now. I shall be your salvation. I shall grant you the means to save which you otherwise cannot. All you must do is prove yourself worthy of it.

In exactly one year from now, I shall commence a ritual that you call a Holy Grail War. Emerge the victor of this war, and you shall hold the means by which to save your way of life in your own two hands. Or any other wish, should you so desire, for the Holy Grail and its omnipotent power need not be used to merely restore the leylines of Earth.

This Holy Grail War, as you call it, shall not be the same as the one you are likely familiar with, that being the Holy Grail War held within Fuyuki City. It shall be grander in scope. Grander in scale. A true, proper war. Expect not to emerge victorious within mere weeks or months, for this is a war of years.

To all magi with the desire to compete in this final Holy Grail War, this is your invitation. Do not lose this page, for without it, it will become impossible for you to compete. Begin preparing yourself now, for undoubtedly countless other magi are beginning preparations of their own.

Of course, should my invitation be dismissed, then so be it. I shall watch on as you doom your way of life to oblivion, and find other, more willing, participants. Mistake not the presence of this invitation as a sign of your importance, or as a special interest of mine. Mistake not the presence of this invitation as a sign that you, and those like you, are the only ones who have been invited, for you shall come to find yourself woefully lacking on the battlefield.

Rejoice in this tiding, magi of Earth.

I am Satanael, First of the Fallen, and he who shall shatter the shackles of law and order which weigh down humanity.


"This is… uh…" I winced, finishing reading the front of the page.

"Interesting, is it not" Professor Maxwell laughed slightly as I shook my head. "What do you think, Travis?"

"…Who would even come up with something like this…" Travis sighed.

"A good question. One which no one has a definitive answer to. At least, not yet. But I will tell you both this: as of this moment, the majority consensus of the Clock Tower is that this invitation is genuine."

"Wait, the lords think this is actually real" I was shocked.

"Some do. Namely Lord Wodime. I hear the moment these gold pages were discovered, he demanded no one disturb him and locked himself in his workshop. He was apparently quite adamant that this could prove some of his more… theoretical research… as having practical application."

"Would explain why he hasn't been giving lectures the past few days" Travis muttered.

"Might actually be easier to show you the list…" Professor Maxwell stood up and began rummaging through the pages on his desk. "I have it here somewhere… Just a second… Ah, here it is! The lords who believe this has some legitimacy, or at the very least believe it is not something we can simply ignore: Lord Wodime, the… most vocal believer in this invitation's legitimacy, Lord El-Melloi, Lord Sophia-Ri, Lord Trambellio, Lord Atroholm, who is easily Wodime's biggest supporter in this push to act, Lord Brishisan, Lord Solonea, and Lord Gaiuslink, though those last three are more in the can't ignore than actually believe mentality of things."

"Can't say I'm surprised to not hear Lord Archelot in that list" I sighed.

"Lord Archelot is closer to joining that list than you might think. Lord Atroholm is trying to apply pressure to get Lord Archelot to assist with the general effort."

"Why would Lord Atroholm be so adamant on having Lord Archelot involved?"

"Read the back of that invitation."

Turning the page over, Travis and I both looked at the back of the page. At first, I didn't get it. The back was more or less exactly like the front: ravings from an unknown author about what a predicament us magi were in, how his war would be our salvation, a warning to not lose this invitation, and finally a bit on how there would be more instructions to follow in order to join, so make sure to check regularly at- at…

"Is that a website link" Travis asked, sounding as puzzled as I felt.

"Considering it's on paper, it would be URL, and not a link, but I digress" Professor Maxwell confirmed. "The Archelots are well known for their involvement with technology. Television, not computing, but that is still far above most magi with ties to the Association, let alone the lords."

"But why would any magus make using modern technology a requirement for joining a Holy Grail War" I protested. "I understand that some technology has been adopted out of necessity, but even we don't go beyond cell phones" I indicated towards Travis and myself.

"Yes, it is quite puzzling. In fact, it is the notion of using modern technology to join a Holy Grail War which has those not on this list claiming this is an absurd waste of time to even think about. After all, the grail itself chooses participants, and any magus who is even considering starting a Holy Grail War should know this most basic of basics. Even the magi in America understood this when they started the American Holy Grail War. Lords Archelot and Jigmarie are highly skeptical because of this, Lord Meluastea laughed at those who even entertained the notion of this being legitimate, and Lord Barthomeloi didn't even bother showing up to the meeting, or sending a representative."

"There was a meeting" Travis asked.

"Within hours of the first pages being discovered. Ah, I should amend my previous statement: Lord Wodime disappeared into his workshop after the meeting."

"Then Lord El-Melloi was here only a few days ago?! Damn, if only I'd gotten a hand on one of these things earlier!"

"And what's the problem with me, hmm" Professor Maxwell asked, before laughing as Travis' face turned slightly red from embarrassment. "I'm joking; Lord El-Mello would be much better when it comes to this kind of thing, considering he has experience with a Holy Grail War. But to relieve you of whatever it is that's bothering you, no, Lord El-Melloi did not attend the meeting. Nor did Lady Reines, for she is also in Fuyuki."

"Then how do you know-"

"Lord El-Melloi's stance on this invitation matter? Why do you think I even have this list to begin with? These are my notes, as Lord El-Melloi sent me as his representative."

"…No offense, Professor" I hesitated, "but why would Lord El-Melloi send you as his representative to a meeting of lords?"

"Because I'm the person still at the Clock Tower he trusts the most" Professor Maxwell laughed. "Which should indirectly tell you exactly how… precarious the situation in Japan is. Everyone else who would be a better fit was already requested by Lord El-Melloi to join him in Japan."

"…Well… that explains why your office is a mess."

"I suppose it does" Professor Maxwell mused. "I do have quite a bit to deal with these days."

"Back to this… this URL thing" Travis sighed, changing the topic. "Do we know what the website this directs to says?"

"Well, currently, it says nothing. All it displays is a timer counting down. Based on that, it doesn't appear anyone can move beyond this initial step of obtaining an invitation for a couple of months."

"A couple of months?!"

"It is rater puzzling, isn't it? I spoke to Lord El-Melloi about the timer, and as far as he can guess, it's a means to level the playing field, so to speak."

"…Level the playing field?"

"Give magi who wish to participate enough time to hunt down an invitation for themselves. Considering the first move of the lords was to gather all- …almost all the invitations themselves while they decide on the official stance the Association will take on the matter, it would appear that this mysterious host has a solid grasp on the political workings of the Clock Tower."

"So, it is an insider then" I sighed.

"That was the initial belief, for the first couple of days."

"…But now it isn't" Travis urged Professor Maxwell to elaborate.

"Well, I suppose it still is for the majority, but not for myself, and by extension Lord El-Melloi. Rare as it is for Atlas to work with us nowadays, they did confirm they also had these pages scattered within the Pit."

"Ok, so it's an Association wide-"

"Then we heard from the Spiral Manor that they have copies of these golden pages as well."

That revelation stunned Travis and I into momentary silence.

"Why would the Spiral Manor have invitations to a Holy Grail War" Travis asked, the shock very evident in his voice. "They've never had any interests in Thaumaturgy based magecraft!"

"I don't believe our mysterious host cares about that. The invitation addresses all magi, not just magi of the Association. Whether the Spiral Manor will actually try to have participants is another matter entirely, but we can confirm that they have been invited to participate."

"Then the American Institute has likely been invited as well" I concluded.

"That is the sensible assumption to make" Professor Maxwell nodded, "and is the current theory among the lords."

"A global Holy Grail War" Travis muttered in a mix of both shock and awe. "That's… Nothing like it has ever been attempted!"

"Do we know if the Church has any of these invitations" I asked Professor Maxwell, ignoring Travis.

"I have not heard anything involving the Church, but I would be very surprised if they haven't been invited, or at least heard about it by now. You recall the ending on the front of the invitation?"

"You mean…" I paused for a moment, snatching the page from the still daydreaming Travis. "You're talking about this bit with Sata-... Satanael, right?"

"Yes, that's it exactly" Professor Maxwell actually sound a bit excited as I answered his question. "That name is important! Very important!"

"…Ok… Should I ask why?"

"Do you not know the name Satanael?!"

"Uh, no…" I asked, confused as to why Professor Maxwell was so hooked onto this name. "Should I?"

"Oh, where's that book when I need it" Professor Maxwell huffed as he began scouring the room. "Here we are at war with the Church, and nobody ever seems to do any research pertaining to- Ah, here we go!"

…I had to hand it to Professor Maxwell. The office may have been in a state of complete disaster, but he sure was good at looking for things he needed.

"How well do you understand creationism" Professor Maxwell asked.

"…What now?"

"Creationism, Rebecca! Or to put it another way, the myriad different doctrines and teachings of the Catholic faith, and by extension, the Church!"

"I mean, I'm not religious, so… not at all."

"Time for a lecture then" Professor Maxwell grinned, much to my horror. "Creationism is a line of thinking, or rather belief, that a singular, divine being shaped the universe and everything within it. While there are many different beliefs and religious that fall within the overarching school of thought that is creationism-"

"So, God, basically" I interjected.

"Well, yes, God in the way the Church preaches, and Christianity as a whole, would fall within creationism."

"Apologies, Professor, but… why do you know about this… religious stuff?"

"Because before I was here, giving lectures, discussing theories and grading papers, I was on the front lines in the unofficial war against the Church! How can one fight what one does not understand?!"

"I, um- that doesn't-"

"Travis, pay attention" Professor Maxwell snapped, bringing Travis back to reality. "This is important for you too! Satanael, within certain creationism thought, is known to be God's first son, his right hand, and first of the Archangels. It was Satanael who worked alongside God in creating humanity."

"Ok, so he's a powerful angel" Travis nodded along. "Got it."

"He was, but is no longer" Professor Maxwell corrected. "Satanael, after all, is a Fallen Angel. His other name, which you two may be more familiar with, is Lucifer."

"Lucifer? As in… like, Satan?"

"No" Professor Maxwell shouted, startling the both of us. "No, no, no, no, no! This is where everybody gets it wrong! Satan and Lucifer are not the same! Satan is one of the Princes of Hell, there being either six or seven in total, depending on specific variations in the beliefs! Lucifer is sometimes considered one of the princes, and in those cases, often times the head, or leader, but he and Satan are distinctly separate beings!"

"Ok… but the Church wouldn't be preaching this, right" I questioned.

"That is correct."

"So then why are you-"

"Because this is not meant to fall in line with the teachings of the Church! The ending of these invitations is not meant to placate the Church, but provoke the Church!"

"You're saying that the person behind all this actually wants the Church to be involved?"

Even as I spoke the words, I was starting to have doubts about where the Professor seemed to be going with this. After all, magi and the Church mixed as well as water and oil. What magi would ever actively want the Church to take notice and get involved in anything they do?

"Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying! After all, you two very clearly displayed why it would be pointless to include if it wasn't meant for the Church! Most magi don't know, or even care to know, anything about religious doctrines and theories. At least not magi tied to the Association. But that is not all! Look at how it ends! Recall what is says?"

"Um… you mean the whole shattering shackles of law and order thing" Travis hesitated.

"Yes, that! For you see, while Satanael is Lucifer, it is important to note that the specific name of Satanael was chosen to be used. Satanael was his name back when he was still an Archangel, a being or entity of good, so to speak. The only people to call him by the name Satanael would be those who still see him in a positive light, out of respect."

"But why would anyone respect Lucifer" I asked. "Or respect the being that… becomes Lucifer?"

"Because Satanael stands in opposition of God, and thus stands in opposition of what God stands for. Remember, God and Satanael together created humanity, but it was God and his vision for humanity which won out, and Satanael was cast down when his rebellion failed. Thus, we know from the line in the invitation that the shackles are God's, and that God's vision of humanity is that of law and order. Now what would you two call the opposite of law and order?"

Professor Maxwell stared at us expectantly, clearly demanding we answer before he would continue. I was silently hoping Travis would speak up and answer so I wouldn't have to, but after a few moments of silence I realized he had the exact same thought as I did. One of us would ultimately have to bite the bullet before Professor Maxwell lost his patience with us, and knowing Travis, he wasn't going to say a word before then.

"...Anarchy and chaos" I offered up meekly.

"Good! That's a good start! I like the answer of chaos; very clear opposite of order, so I suppose it was rather obvious. As for anarchy, it is certainly an interpretation, but not the one I would use. Not in this case. Travis, what is another term that could be used in the place of anarchy?"

"Um…" Travis looked like he was facing down an exam his life depended on, rather than a verbal question. "Uh… fr-freedom…?"

"Yes! That's what I would use here too! Very good! Freedom and chaos, the opposition to the law and order bestowed upon humanity by God. Now, do either of you think this is the real Satanael, so to speak? In any myriad of his interpretations?"

"No" both Travis and I spoke in unison.

"Then you agree that it must be someone taking on the name and role of Satanael?"

"Sure, I guess" Travis answered.

"Then we can conclude that this person, taking on the role of Satanael, believes he shall liberate humanity from God's control and deliver unto them true freedom, and the chaos that comes with it. Or rather, through the chaos of this Holy Grail War, humanity shall be granted true freedom."

"But Professor" I struggled to make sense of everything Professor Maxwell was saying, mainly because it still sounded ridiculous. "If this person is playing the role of this Satanael figure, then who's God in all this?"

"Look around you, Rebecca" Professor Maxwell spread his arms out wide. "Who else could it be? It's us!"

"Us?! As in, magi?! But we're not God, or even gods" Travis protested. "Or divine spirits, or-"

"Not in the way we understand it, no" Professor Maxwell agreed. "Not in the way a magus would understand it. You have to think about it from a human perspective. An outsider perspective. Here we magi are, sitting on all this power and knowledge kept away from humanity as a whole. We sit here, at our literal tower, our throne, knowing truths of the world while keeping the rest of humanity blind to it. Humanity is free, yes, but only to the extent that law and order allows. Specifically, our law, and our order. We, magi, are the creator of the shackles of law and order, and while it prevents the spread of what we would consider chaos, it does so by preventing humanity from obtaining true freedom. The freedom that is full knowledge of the world they inhabit, as well as its history."

A numbing silence. That's the only description that I could give to the sensation I felt as my mind worked to process what Professor Maxwell was trying to get at. What he was implying. Truly, I didn't think it was possible for anything he'd said to get crazier than some magus apparently actively wanting the attention of the Church. Yet here he was, speaking in full confidence, effectively saying…

"…You're saying…" I struggled to speak; the words were simply that unbelievable to me. "Professor… are you trying to say that this isn't the work of a magus, but rather… Rather the work of an outsider?"

"That is my current belief, yes, and after having shared with Lord El-Melloi what I just shared with you two now, he is also in agreement."


A/N

Wasn't lying when I said this would be a big post xD

In fact, I think this is my biggest post ever, for either work. Actually, scratch that, I know it's the biggest post ever.

So yeah, this is the current state of the Clock Tower, and a bit of the Association as a whole, for this work. To be honest, I can't say I'm all that familiar with the full inner workings of either the Clock Tower, or the Association at large, as is in proper FATE timelines. Then to have to try and... 'age' everything another twentyish years on top of that... yeah, I expect some of this will cause people with better lore knowledge than me to scratch their heads at best, and rage at worse.

Ah well, nothing new from me, really xD

Anyways, glad that I can now focus solely on this work, now that the previous one is finally complete! Should make doing posts of this size far easier.

As always, see y'all in the next post o7