Over time, he gradually modified the Greater Grail to adapt it to Trifas.
He worked tirelessly to prepare the Greater Grail and bend it to his clan's advantage, carefully arranging every event and discreetly avoiding any suspicion. However, he allowed information about the ritual's foundation to spread, which caused imitation rituals to proliferate across the World....
Though he considered it his only mistake, he managed to avoid detection for seventy years.
A single error that would cost him his magical trophy, as the Mage's Association now had its eyes on his decaying clan....
Therefore, Darnic had no choice but to initiate a Holy Grail War while simultaneously declaring war on the Clock Tower.
The Greater Grail had been prepared, and so had his group. With two months of advance preparation, he took advantage of Romania's terrain and summoned Romania's most famous Hero, Vlad III the Impaler, as a Lancer.
As a local Hero, being on his own land made him extremely powerful...
With a Servant at his side, Darnic no longer feared the Clock Tower, and his group—the Black Faction—began summoning their respective Servants....
But something went wrong....
The Greater Grail changed, and the Magical Energy within it went into Frenzy. The Great Holy Grail War that was meant to be between the Red and Black factions—with fourteen Masters and fifteen Servants—was altered.
Romania's ley lines shifted, affecting the entire country. A new cup of the Gods was formed—a World Holy Grail....
The Great Holy Grail War had turned into a World Holy Grail War.
A total of twenty-eight Masters and twenty-nine Servants.....
In addition to the Black and Red factions, two more had joined—Blue and Green....
When Darnic discovered this, he scratched his head so much he nearly went bald.
Everything had gone wrong. With four groups competing for the World Holy Grail, his chances of victory dropped to almost nothing. Even with his confidence in Vlad III, he wasn't optimistic—there were twenty-nine Servants...
But that wasn't all. The fourteen Masters belonging to the Blue and Green factions were not natives of his World—or to be precise—
The World Holy Grail was so powerful that it searched for qualified Masters from other Parallel Worlds and summoned them here to fight....
There was hope, or at least that's what Darnic thought, since travelers from Parallel Worlds would only come to this World when their Servant was summoned.
And they were usually alone, while his faction had already summoned all of their Servants....
They could eliminate them immediately—or win their trust and fight together....
Sub-World Fate: Stay Night
Japan, Fuyuki City
Rin Tohsaka is a seventeen-year-old Magus with aquamarine eyes and long, wavy chestnut hair styled with twin tails tied by black ribbons, while the rest of her hair flowed freely.
"All right... this should be enough...."
Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Rin looked with satisfaction at the Heroic Spirit Summoning Circle....
Ten years ago, the Fourth Holy Grail War had taken place, during which the previous head, Tokiomi Tohsaka, died.
After her father's death, Rin—now the head of the Tohsaka Family—had devoted herself to refining her magic. Ten years later, she too had been selected as one of the Masters in this Fifth Holy Grail War....
She was satisfied with her current condition. Rin is competitive by nature, pursuing the Holy Grail for the sake of her late father and her family's name. Though she had little personal motivation, she still hoped to succeed where her father had failed.
And now, after ten years, she was fully prepared....
"I hope this is enough...."
With the Summoning Circle complete, Rin brought a hand to her chin, thinking.
She didn't like this Summoning Circle very much. Unlike the traditional Tohsaka Family circle, this one came from an ancient book preserved in the Tohsaka records for generations. Rin wanted the strongest of Heroic Spirits, and according to the book, this Summoning Circle belonged to an incredible being.
At its core was an Arms Coffin, with something resembling demonic branches spreading around it.
To Rin, the circle felt unreliable. Still, she decided to try it. After all, her father had used the traditional Tohsaka Summoning Circle in the previous Holy Grail War—and failed. Rin didn't want to fail, so she took the risk.
Moreover, unlike the traditional circle, this one didn't require a catalyst. It was aimed at a single being—perfect for Rin, a rather stingy young lady.
Even if the Summoning Circle failed, she wouldn't lose money, and that was what convinced her the most....
"Forget it. If it doesn't work, I'll draw another one...."
Setting her thoughts aside, Rin opened the ancient book, closed her eyes, and began the chant....
"May the World bless its Savior, whose arrival is a radiant day in infinite darkness.
No one will worship his triumph....
His story will never be told....
His pain will never be understood....
His struggle will never be glorified....
His name will never be remembered....
You whom history has forgotten, hear my call....
At this moment, illuminate me with your light and sever my destiny....
With a drop of my blood, let me grant you the glory you will never have. Let your hand pierce time and answer my call....
To protect the World, for a luminous future, for the arrival of a new era....
Emperor of Time!"
Rin didn't open her eyes, yet her hand was dripping with blood. It hurt badly, but she held her breath....
The summoning chant was long, and it carried weight. With every word Rin spoke, it became harder to continue. For a moment, her heart tightened, and panic seized her.
Even with her eyes closed, she could see a gigantic hand reaching toward her and grasping her. Rin almost screamed in terror and wanted to stop the chant, but her voice wouldn't stop.
Fear flooded her. Fortunately, once the chant was complete, the gigantic hand vanished, and she could breathe again....
"...?"
Still shaken, Rin opened one eye to check the state of the circle, but it looked the same as always—no activity....
Only then did she sigh in relief....
"That scared me...."
She stared at the ancient book in her hand, fear lingering as she swallowed. Cold sweat ran down her forehead.
"I should've used the traditional circle...."
Though it was more expensive, the Tohsaka Family circle was safer—and unlike this one, it actually worked....
"Achoo~ So cold."
Suddenly, a cold breeze struck her body, making her hair stand on end. Rin shivered, hugged herself, and patted her arms....
"Hm?! Cold?! Light?!"
The instant she sneezed, Rin realized something was wrong. She had prepared the Summoning Circle in her basement, which was dimly lit, and the night breeze shouldn't have been able to touch her.
Yet now, she wasn't in her house.
She was standing in what looked like an open field.
Vegetation surrounded her, and moonlight illuminated the area....
"What... what is happening?! Where am I?!"
Rin's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't even felt the moment she'd been teleported.
She swallowed hard, her heart pounding, and looked toward the distance, where the lights of a city glimmered....
"This book...."
The first thing Rin thought of was the ancient book in her hand. Trembling, she threw it to the ground—and the Summoning Circle activated.
Fuuuuummmmmm.
A beam of light shot into the sky, and an aurora spread across the heavens....
BOOMMM.
"Kya?!"
A violent impact knocked Rin onto her backside, forcing a terrified scream from her lips....
The Summoning Circle shattered, and mist covered the area....
And then Rin saw it—the Heroic Spirit she had summoned, seated upon a Throne of Annihilation....
"So you are the one who called me... Hahaha!... Well done, being able to summon this Emperor... Now answer me... Are you my 'Eve'...?"
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