Command seals…The marks that changed everything.

Waver hoped to never see them again, for he had no desire to partake in this cruel, destructive tournament. However, just as he launched his campaign against the Grail, he saw undeniable and horrifying proof of Angra Mainyu's omniscience. The shadowed one watched the proclamations and made his move the moment he realized that the push for dismantlement would not stop. This complicated matters, yet Waver was not going to give up. The moment the meeting was over, Waver began gathering information about others who received the command seals. Rin joined him at his headquarters to help.

"Have you looked through the files yet?" Waver asked Rin as he interrupted her while she was studying in a large decorated room that he had chosen for her. Even now, she sat on the sofa, focusing on the materials before her.

"Thoroughly."

"Any thoughts?"

"Are you going to sit down, or do you want me to shout?"

Waver sighed and walked towards the sofa Rin was on, taking a seat beside her.

"Now, I'd appreciate it if we got to business."

"Be my guest." Rin took some of the files on Marianne Taylor, the lorekeeper. "I suppose that we're lucky that one of your colleagues became a master. She seems reasonable enough."

"Marianne can be stubborn at times, but at least I can be confident in her intentions. She does not wish to harm anyone with the Grail's power, but she might have to see the full extent of its darkness before we will convince her of anything."

"You have a note here that a servant she will summon is likely to be an ancient Roman heroic spirit; why is that?"

"It is her preferred area of expertise and research when it comes to history. She is very likely to have Roman relics that will help her summon a spirit." Waver explained before looking at another file, that of a tall man with dark hair and dark brown eyes. "I am more concerned about this mage. We know he possesses a relic related to Jeanne d'Arc and has connections in the associations, but he is not someone I encountered."

"I've dealt with Everec Kammerer before. As power-hungry as he is arrogant. I'm sure he'd want the Grail to help him take over the entire Association."

"I see…In that case, it fits with the pattern."

"A pattern?" Rin wondered. "Trying to figure out where to look for other masters?"

"In a way. It is worth noting that two out of three masters that we've discovered have a stark agenda and a reason to preserve the Holy Grail. On the other hand…"

"Neither of us got command seals." Rin caught his thought. "Despite both of us being experienced participants and me being the Tohsaka representative."

"It seems that our most dangerous enemy is the Grail itself," Waver said. "Angra Mainyu must have started this war as a means to defend itself from our campaign, so much that it is willing to break its own traditions of granting the seals to each of the three families…"

"Since the Matou name is no more, the grail didn't have a choice but to stray," Rin suggested. "That said, I'm more than certain that that fox Angela got chosen. She is both a representative and argued for Grail's preservation; if I were Angra Mainyu, I would not miss out on the opportunity."

"I agree…Unfortunately, it is difficult to get close to Einzberns with how guarded their territory is."

"I think she'll show herself sooner or later…"

Before the two could continue, a phone rang in Rin's pocket. Tohsaka took it out and answered the call, listening attentively,

"Ah, you're just in time." Rin smiled and put the phone away.

"I take it he's here?" Waver asked calmly.

"Yes. See how good it is to have allies among masters? Come along, I'll introduce you." Rin said with vigor and confidence.

The two mages walked downstairs into the living room, ready to meet their guest, who patiently expected the hosts at the entrance. Rin was the one to open the door, allowing a tall man in dark grey clothing. They contrasted with his fiery red hair and passionate eyes with a golden tint.

"Look who's here." Rin smiled. "You've certainly seen better days."

"Glad to see you, Tohsaka." The man responded with a quiet voice with undertones of warmth.

"Come now, you could've said that with a bit more enthusiasm, Emiya," Rin said playfully before turning to Waver. "May I introduce you, Shirou Emiya."

"Welcome, Mr. Emiya." Waver shook their guest's hand.

"You can call me Shirou. Lord El-Melloi the Second?"

"Correct. I assume Rin told you about me and our situation?"

"She did."

"Then come inside." Waver guided Shirou into the hall as both he and Tohsaka followed. "Rin spoke quite highly of you, Shirou. So do the people of Japan who encountered you. You are described as someone who saved countless lives, be it helping to stop dangerous criminals or helping survivors of various natural disasters, all while asking for nothing in return. They say you've become something of a folk hero. And you've continued this kind of 'career' for ten years, impressive, there's no other way to describe it."

"I don't regret my path," Shirou said coldly yet without a shred of doubt. "I saved many over the years, but I can always save more."

"You have, though I hear your greatest achievement goes all the way to the beginning of this journey."

"Indeed it does," Tohsaka added. "Shirou can be a bit shy about it, but he was the one who stopped Kirei Kotomine from unleashing the grail's corruption upon Fuyuki."

"I was not alone." Shirou challenged her.

"Yes, I know…Of course."

"Either way, you've saved Fuyuki from the same result that occurred during my Holy Grail War." Waver congratulated Shirou. "Now, then." He pointed at the chairs for his allies to sit on; they had much more to discuss. "We are all former participants, yet Shirou is the only one the grail chose again," Waver said with some skepticism in his voice. Angra Mainyu's goal was to survive, but why would it choose Shirou? Was there a desire in this determined hero that the shadowed one wanted to exploit?

"That it did." Shirou nodded. "I contacted Tohsaka the moment those command seals appeared on my palm." He raised his arm, showing three crimson runes carved out. "I didn't summon my servant yet, but I have the means." He took out a skull-shaped mask out of his pocket, tossing it to the table.

"This belonged to Hassan of the Cursed Arm…" Waver spoke with curiosity. "Seems like you will have control over this war's Assassin."

"It is not my first choice, but I have no other relics, and the time is short," Shirou said. "Tohsaka told me of what you are planning to do, and I promise to aid your quest. Nothing in return…Just like with all those people."

"Emiya, just make sure we are on the same page," Rin interjected. "We will destroy the Grail for good this time. You support this, correct?"

"Why would I not." Shirou's voice grew colder, making Rin take a pause.

"You know why." She added in a quiet voice.

"No." Shirou cut her off as he looked away to the side, trying to avoid eye contact with Waver. "What's in the past will remain in the past."

"I see…I shouldn't have brought it up."

"I am with you until the end. I tried to destroy the Grail a decade ago, not realizing that breaking the vessel is not enough. If we have to take this fight to the root, then so be it."

"In that case…" Waver nodded with approval. "Welcome to the fold, Shirou Emiya."

...

The darkest pit of Hell has never felt so comforting.

Iseri has always called it home, a depressing, agonizing place, which nevertheless fueled his passion. It has been years since he displayed his research before the mages of the Tower, showed the force of an untamed wind, the all-destroying Vortex that can surpass any known power in existence! They told him no one could control it, that no one could dream of defying or using such power. They were terrified because they saw a mage who surpassed them. They resisted; they threw Iseri in prison, took his research away from him, and dared to disgrace the master of the wind.

"Let knowledge and wind be the essence.

Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation

Let gold be the color I pay tribute to

Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall

Let the four cardinal gates close.

Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate."

Their fear was meaningless, their resistance futile, for Iseri would never abandon his passion. He witnessed the rotten core of the mage society, those cowardly and hypocritical bureaucrats that stood in the way of progress and enlightenment. He could show them a path to the future, a way to control the winds of this world, but they rejected him.

And now all of them will pay.

"I hereby declare.

Your body shall serve under me.

My fate shall be your sword.

Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail

If you will submit to this will and this reason…Then answer!"

Iseri never dreamed of getting such an opportunity, yet here it was, right before him. He had the essence of the Holy Grail speak to him, the dark, all-powerful being that could fulfill every wish of destruction he could possibly have. He would have this power to himself, no matter how corrupted or broken it was. Angra Mainyu called out.

"An oath shall be sworn here!

I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven.

I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell!"

His servant would be among the oldest creatures of this earth, the one who reigned over the element of the wind long before Iseri or any other mage was born. The winged sandals shall bring him forth, but his strength alone would not be enough. Iseri wanted to witness the destructive Tornado, unbound by morals or any kind of restraint or hesitation.

"Yet, though serves with thine eyes clouded in chaos

Thou, bound in the cage of madness.

I am he who commands this chaos."

With his command seals, Iseri had the power that defied any limit and would put this wretched society to its knees. It will purge all of them, and then Iseri will create a new association…An association of those who do not fear pushing their limits and claiming any power they can. Through Angra Mainyu…He will finally find freedom.

"From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,

Come forth from the ring of restraints,

Protector of the Holy Balance!"