"The village's protective barrier has been set up."
Benimaru said, "But how long will this descent last?"
With supplies brought back from the Konosubaverse, the villagers could sustain themselves within the barrier for half a year without worrying about food.
"No worries."
Damien smiled. "Seven days at most, and the descent ritual will conclude."
"Seven days…"
Benimaru was surprised, not by the length but by how short it was.
That Damien could complete a world invasion in such a brief time was astonishing.
'As expected of Lord Damien.'
'To achieve his goals in so little time.'
"Alright, you're dismissed."
"Snow Empress, Ice Empress, Ogerpon, Violet."
"Shuna, Shion, Souei."
"Rigurd, you stay too."
"Hoshiga, you as well."
With that, Damien led his most loyal Familiars and the goblin and Star Wolves leaders to the meeting hall to assign their tasks.
"Ready?"
After settling everything, Damien lay on a bed. "Let's begin, Violet."
[Gate of the Void activated]
[Descent mode selected: Projection]
[Projection complete]
Neon lights flickered, bathing the district in a kaleidoscope of colors.
Skyscrapers lined the streets, their glass facades reflecting star-like glints in the night, resembling a futuristic steel forest.
"It worked."
From a skyscraper's rooftop, Damien overlooked the modern city, his voice low. "Fuyuki City, the Fourth Holy Grail War!"
Yes, after the Pokémonverse, Konosubaverse, and Douluoverse, the new world Damien had found was the Nasuverse.
But the Nasuverse was far more dangerous than the others.
Entering recklessly posed too great a risk.
"This pre-summoned Heroic Spirit body, though…"
Damien assessed its power. "It's too weak."
[Damien]
[Class: Voyager/Traveler]
[Strength: B]
[Endurance: A]
[Agility: C]
[Mana: A]
[Luck: C]
[Noble Phantasm: Monster Kingdom of Another World (EX)]
[Mana Reserve: 1000/1000]
These stats weren't based on the Cardinal World's monster ranks but on the Nasuverse's unique system.
Put simply?
With Fuyuki City's material composition, an A-rank Kijin could easily destroy a nation.
As for Damien?
Obliterating a planet would be effortless.
But the Nasuverse was deep, with countless parallel worlds. Who knew if some powerhouse might emerge and knock him back? And the planet in this world is not just a large rock floating in space, but a Celestial Being.
To avoid that, Damien chose to participate in the Holy Grail War to gain benefits from this world.
"Voyager... or Traveler."
Damien was fairly satisfied with his class.
Two A-ranks, and an EX Noble Phantasm.
This was the result of his preparations.
As for actual strength…
Compared to his true body, this Heroic Spirit form was negligible.
"The outcome of the Holy Grail War doesn't matter to me."
What Damien truly sought was to use his Learner skill to acquire new rules from the Nasuverse.
"Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon."
"Iskandar's Ionioi Hetairoi."
"The Noble Phantasms of Heroic Spirits…"
These were what Damien needed most.
He'd customized his stats and designed his Noble Phantasm.
As for Magic Resistance or other inherent skills, Damien hadn't bothered wasting Violet's computing power on such trivialities.
"I need to find a suitable Master first."
Glancing at his mana reserve, Damien felt a slight urgency. "Otherwise, this body won't last long."
A Heroic Spirit needed a Master. Damien had exploited a loophole in the Nasuverse to descend as a Voyager.
But basic rules still applied.
'Is this the new world?'
'It feels so strange.'
'The houses are so tall... what are those shiny lights?'
'Is this what the human world looks like?'
Hearing his Familiars and Familia's awed exclamations, Damien smiled. "I'm counting on you all next."
'Ohhh!'
'Leave it to me!'
That voice could only be Shion's.
Whoosh!
A night breeze swept through, and the figure on the rooftop vanished into the flickering neon lights.
'Where are we going?'
The Snow Empress noticed Damien heading in a specific direction, clearly with purpose.
'To find those Heroic Spirits and take them down, obviously!'
'Ice, the Holy Grail War isn't just about fighting.'
The Snow Empress sighed. 'Besides, Damien just said we need a stable mana source.'
'A Master.'
Shuna added, 'We need a Master, or once Lord Damien's mana runs out, our war is over.'
'So, where's the Master?'
'…'
Damien hadn't shared much about the Nasuverse, as its information was vast and he wasn't fully familiar with it himself.
"We're here."
As the group discussed the sights and speculated about Heroic Spirits' strength, Damien stopped.
Before him stood a Taisho-style mansion.
This was the Matou residence.
And his chosen Master was none other than Sakura Matou, a key figure in the Fourth Holy Grail War!
Inside the Matou mansion, an elderly man in a kimono, hunched over, led a five- or six-year-old girl down a staircase to the basement.
The old man was Zouken Matou, head of one of Fuyuki City's two great magus families.
The girl, originally Tohsaka Sakura, had been adopted by the Matou family and renamed Sakura Matou.
But…
As the staircase grew darker, Sakura felt afraid.
She instinctively clutched the old man's sleeve.
Despite his terrifying appearance, in such a moment, the girl sought comfort by instinct.
"Grandfather, I'm cold."
"The Fourth Holy Grail War is about to begin."
Zouken Matou murmured, ignoring Sakura's plea, lost in his own thoughts. "Every sixty years, this city hosts a secret magical ritual unknown to ordinary people."
"Seven pairs of Masters and Servants fight to the death, offering the defeated as sacrifices to summon the legendary Holy Grail."
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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