This was no longer just the Holy Grail War. This was about humanity's survival.
Jeanne knew that, which was why she needed to seek allies in this war who could help her eliminate this threat…
"My Lord Father, please bless us…"
Clasping her hands together and looking up at the sky, Jeanne prayed with all her heart. As a saint, her bond with God was absolute. Unfortunately for her, the moment the Servant who illuminated the world was summoned, God stopped communicating with her, and the revelations ceased…
Fate and all external aid had been severed by the Requiem. The entire world was bound by the colossal chains of the Arms Coffin. Anyone could enter the World, but no one could leave, and all outside intervention had been cut off. Fate itself had become a roll of the dice resting in Yuki's palms.
Of course, this was something Jeanne didn't know. She prayed earnestly and resumed her journey toward the Yggdmillennia base…
The moment Jeanne approached the castle, the Yggdmillennia were already aware of her presence and were waiting.
As a Ruler, none of the Servants of the Black faction attacked her. They merely observed her from a distance…
"A Ruler, huh?"
Lancer of Black, seated on the throne, murmured as he watched Jeanne enter the castle through magical projections…
"What do you think, my lord?"
"For the judge to come personally to this castle, this must be good news, Darnic."
To be honest, this was good news for both Vlad III and Darnic.
Ruler was the arbiter of this World Holy Grail War. If they could earn the arbiter's favor, they would at least gain some advantage, however small.
Vlad III was well aware of his limitations. He was strong because he had been summoned in his homeland, and as long as he remained there, the boost to his parameters made him one of the strongest Servants in this war.
However, compared to the Servant who split the moon, Vlad III knew he would lose.
That was a Servant who had completely broken the balance of the war, and if his assumptions were correct, the reason Ruler had come was…
"She's seeking help…"
Just as Vlad III could see it, so could Darnic and Archer of Black.
Chiron had been a great sage in his era, and he too understood the danger posed by the mysterious Servant…
As for Ruler coming merely to supervise?
That was a joke.
With a World Holy Grail War this chaotic, the best Ruler could normally do was monitor the battles and nothing more.
"It doesn't matter. Whatever she has to say, we'll hear her out…"
Vlad III was not in a position of victory. The Masters of the Blue and Green camps had yet to fully appear, and an alliance was necessary, even if it meant aiding Ruler…
Darnic thought the same as his Servant, so he gathered all the Servants and Masters to await Ruler's arrival…
At the same time Jeanne entered the castle, other travelers also arrived on solid ground…
"We're here, Senpai. Romania, the Great Holy Grail War…"
"Fouu~"
Using her shield as a guide, Mash identified the coordinates, while Fou on her shoulder assisted with the confirmation…
"It's pretty quiet…"
Ritsuka was surprised. They had been teleported near the city, and even though it was nighttime, the nearby area was intact, with no signs of destruction. In other singularities, cities had often fallen and people had died, so this felt strange.
That said, it was well past midnight, so most people were likely asleep. That also explained the calm…
"I wouldn't be so sure, Fujimaru-kun…"
Leonardo didn't share his optimism. She looked up at the sky, where a massive Black Hole loomed, and the planet's natural satellite had been split clean in two…
"The moon?!"
It was a full moon, clearly visible overhead…
Seeing that giant in the sky split apart left Ritsuka and Mash in shock.
And not just them. Leonardo, a natural genius, analyzed the phenomenon instantly.
The moon being cut in half was very bad news…
"How could this happen?"
Ritsuka frowned. The danger level of this singularity could rival that of the Camelot Singularity.
In that singularity, the planet itself had been on the verge of annihilation, and the Lion King had been as powerful as a God.
They hadn't even been able to defeat him, only thwart his plans and restore his emotions.
If they were to face an enemy on that level again, they might need help…
"An Anti-Planet Noble Phantasm was used to do that…"
As if answering Ritsuka's question, a white-haired man suddenly appeared in front of Ritsuka and Mash.
"What?!"
"Get back, Senpai!"
The group immediately went on the offensive. They hadn't sensed this man's presence at all…
[This is…!]
Ritsuka and Mash weren't the only ones shocked. Romani was too.
Unlike the others, Romani recognized the man instantly. How could he not? This man was the origin of Chaldeas itself…
"You don't need to be so alert. I'm a magical projection, not my real body…"
The man greeted them calmly, smiling faintly as he pointed to the familiar that made the projection possible. That eased the group slightly, though they didn't lower their guard…
"Who are you?"
Leonardo brought a hand to her chin. She seemed to recognize the man in the projection…
"I'll introduce myself. My name is Marisbury Animusphere. I assume you travelers from Chaldea know me…"
"What?! The first Director?!"
Mash was the first to react. Unfortunately, she didn't remember much about Marisbury. At the time, her body had been used to complete the Demi-Servant experiment, and due to its instability, Mash had tried to kill him. As a result, Marisbury had placed her into hibernation for years. When she awoke, Marisbury was already dead, and her memories of that era were hazy. Still, like everyone in Chaldeas, she knew about the first Director and the man who had predicted humanity's extinction.
It could be said that without Marisbury's help, humanity would have already perished to the Beasts.
Because of that, even in death, Marisbury was revered in Chaldeas.
"The Leader's father…"
Ritsuka, meanwhile, was reminded of Olga Marie by the man's white hair.
Sadness washed over him for a brief moment…
"It's good to know my name is still remembered… You've done well, Romani."
[Director]
As the Director of the Department of Astromancy, Marisbury understood future possibilities and the branching paths caused by choice.
If his calculations were correct, then he was already dead…
Romani pressed his lips together, powerless in the face of that truth…
"Director, what are you doing in this singularity?"
That was the real question. The fact that the first Director was present in this singularity was good news, but there were answers they needed.
Mash asked cautiously.
"I was summoned into this World Holy Grail War as the Master of Caster."
"Eh?"
That response left everyone speechless except Leonardo, who instead went pale.
"World Holy Grail War? Isn't this the Great Holy Grail War?"
"It was, but the Grail transformed and spiraled out of control…"
Marisbury frowned as he answered Leonardo. According to the future of the parallel world of the Grand Order, he was supposed to participate in the first Holy Grail War in Fuyuki.
However, the moment he summoned Solomon, he was forcibly teleported to take part in this World Holy Grail War…
"World Holy Grail War?"
Ritsuka and Mash didn't understand the term, but for Leonardo, as a Servant, it was another matter entirely…
She understood—and her expression twisted in horror.
"If it's a World Holy Grail War… then…"
"That's right. This is the most dangerous of them all. A war between twenty-eight Servants, without limits, without a time restriction, and above all… without summoning rules…"
A normal Holy Grail War was governed by many rules. The World Holy Grail War was different.
Servants could fight at any hour. Night or day didn't matter. There were no truces.
Battles could take place anywhere in the world. It didn't matter if it was the host city of the World Cup or another city, country, or even a different continent.
And most importantly—
There were no limits on summoning Servants…
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