Kiritsugu Emiya was a trump card summoned by the Einzbern family to ensure victory in the Holy Grail War. The Einzberns had suffered crushing defeats in every previous war, and they brought in Kiritsugu, the "Magus Killer," a man with a proven track record from countless battlefields.
But that's not all. For his servant, they summoned King Arthur, Artoria Pendragon, the strongest of the seven classes, Saber, using the scabbard of the perfect blade, Excalibur, a weapon that guaranteed victory. The Einzbern family's preparations were thorough and seemingly foolproof.
However, two miscalculations, or rather, two crucial oversights, would soon come to light.
Since childhood, Kiritsugu had roamed battlefields as a mercenary. He possessed a twisted but firm belief: to save the many, he must sacrifice the few. To achieve this, he had no mercy. He was prepared to employ any ruthless tactic, no matter how wicked. Laying traps, using poison, or taking hostages were all second nature to him. A magus who treated magic as a mere tool—like a gun or a bomb—he was an anathema among his peers.
It was this fighting style, especially his willingness to use any means necessary, that Saber, the chivalrous King of Knights, could never accept. The Einzberns' surefire plan was fatally incompatible. Understanding this, Kiritsugu resorted to an unprecedented strategy: a complete separation between servant and master. He entrusted his wife, Irisviel von Einzbern, with the role of acting with Saber and engaging other servants head-on, while he focused on striking from the shadows. This was the best course of action Kiritsugu could devise.
The second miscalculation was Kiritsugu's own weakness. He had been invited into the Einzbern family nine years before the war began. While this time away from the battlefield had dulled his skills, something else tormented him even more. His unwavering justice of sacrificing the few to save the many was now a great burden, weighed down by the love he had cultivated for his wife, Iri, and his daughter, Illya, over those nine years. For a man who had avoided creating loved ones to maintain his cold ruthlessness, this affection felt like a rough rope tightening around his soul.
As the war progressed, he knew that Iri would be lost, no matter what. And if he lost, Illya, left alone in the Einzbern castle, would be abandoned. He was tormented by the pressure of not being able to lose, and by the future where victory would come at the cost of losing those he loved. He couldn't return to the cold, calculating machine he once was. He was on the verge of collapsing, and his survival, let alone victory, was in question.
The only thing supporting Kiritsugu was a great ambition he had dreamt of since childhood, a dream he had given up on because he believed it was impossible for a human: to end the endless chain of war.
Through his rifle scope, he watched as an anomaly, an irregular servant, narrowly dodged Saber's swordplay. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was the voice he heard through the listening device he'd given Iri, words that could shatter him from the inside out.
"...What did you say...?"
—Even if you wish upon the Holy Grail, that wish will not be granted.
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"You!! Will you still keep spouting such nonsense!!"
Saber's invisible sword whizzed past just inches from my face. Well, I can't be sure of the exact distance. It's an invisible sword, after all. I simply dodged it by assuming my "Super Cosmic Holy Sword Space Caliber" would be in the vicinity.
The knight before me reaffirmed that in battle, gender doesn't matter. The fighting spirit and killing intent aimed at me felt like invisible threads trying to bind me. I couldn't let her pressure crush me; it was an attack I couldn't even graze.
At first, I approached her without a weapon, just with words. Saber, seeing I was unarmed and wanted to talk, didn't immediately attack. But when I told her I was from the future and that the Holy Grail was corrupted and couldn't grant wishes, all bets were off. Saber, usually composed, acted in a fit of pique and lunged at me.
"MechaGodzilla!!"
A fissure appeared in space. MechaGodzilla's head emerged and spewed a Twin Maser Cannon, creating a wall of light that prevented any further pursuit.
"Another bizarre Noble Phantasm...!"
Saber pointed her blade at me.
"I am the King of Britain, Artoria Pendragon. Answer me, who are you? How do you know the range of my sword? There was no one like you at the Round Table."
"..."
"That's not all. What is that sword you are holding?"
I glanced at the golden holy sword in my hand, a near-perfect replica of her own.
"I've told you already. The Throne of Heroes transcends the concept of time. It's not strange for a heroic spirit from the future to be summoned."
In reality, I'm just a regular guy with a bunch of abilities stuffed into me, but I'd never admit that.
"I didn't choose to be summoned, but since I'm here, I want to change the tragic outcome of this Holy Grail War."
"Tragic outcome...?"
"Yes. To put it simply, this Holy Grail War won't function properly. The Holy Grail was corrupted by a counter-heroic spirit in the Third Holy Grail War. Wishes are being arbitrarily twisted and interpreted with malicious intent. Even if you fight and win, the wish you hold will be granted in a warped way. Also, records show that by the end of this Holy Grail War, this city will be a sea of fire. I want to stop that."
I gave them the same explanation I gave Rider. Saber and Iri fell silent, moving closer to me.
"What do you think, Saber?"
"I don't know. By his expression and tone, he doesn't seem to be lying... but what he's saying is outrageous."
"But what if it's true?"
"Our purpose for fighting would change. Instead of seeking the Grail, we'd have to stop this disaster."
As the two mulled it over, I dropped another bombshell.
"I have proof."
"Proof? That you're from the future?"
"No, not that. Proof that the Holy Grail is corrupted. There's a large hollow inside Mount Enzou. If you look at the magical energy accumulated deep inside, you'll see that my words are true."
The "Dragon's Cave," the large hollow in Mount Enzou, absorbs and accumulates the land's mana, serving as a massive magical reactor for the Holy Grail War. Anyone with a basic understanding of magic would immediately notice something was wrong, making it a perfect piece of evidence. A con artist uses vague, confusing words to cloud people's judgment. But by providing verifiable proof that can be checked immediately, I had them.
"Check it out. Right now, if you can. Tell your real master, the one not here right now, about it."
"You... you even know that..."
"Does this count as proof that I'm from the future?"
I said with a theatrical flourish. The tension of battle was completely gone. Saber was still cautious, but she didn't raise her sword.
Yes! It looks like it's going to work.
Kiritsugu must be verifying what I told them. A subtle, tense atmosphere hung between us.
A little while later, "Wha! Oh, um, what do I do?" Irisviel fumbled with her phone as it rang. The person on the other end was probably him. Saber also looked bewildered. Both of them were unfamiliar with modern technology. I held out my hand and took the phone.
"Hello... ah..."
"...Is that the irregular servant? I have confirmed that the accumulated magical energy has been invaded and transformed into something harmful."
I was trying to figure out what to call myself when he just went ahead with the conversation. His voice was incredibly weary. Thinking about Kiritsugu's feelings, I couldn't just celebrate.
"I see. So, the Grail won't function properly. While I can't vouch for the rest of your story, I will trust you on this one point."
His voice was flat and hollow, as if the soul had been sucked out of it, like a fluffy sponge.
"Good. So, I'd like to talk about what to do next. Mainly about my plan of action."
"...I'll hear you out. I'll send a car for you now. Get in. We need to move to a different location."
I thought to myself, "How careless." Of course, I had no intention of deceiving him, but... the "Magus Killer," Kiritsugu Emiya, had withered. A sane Kiritsugu would never agree so readily to hear out an unknown servant. The news that his wish couldn't be granted must have hit him hard. Still, for me, this was a godsend. He was offering me a chance to talk.
We got into the car driven by Kiritsugu's assistant, Maiya Hisau, and left the harbor. Saber and Iri were in their own car. The back seat of Maiya's car was filled with guns, food, and water, so I got in the passenger seat. I tend to get sleepy in a moving car and fought hard to stay awake. As the city lights faded and the car entered the mountain roads, I knew where we were going.
(The Einzbern castle...)
Well, it'll be a while then. I hope I don't fall asleep.
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"Hah, hah, hah..."
Kariya Matou desperately tried to steady his ragged breathing. He sat on the ground, not caring that his clothes were getting dirty. The worms he had accepted to participate in the Holy Grail War, which were necessary to sustain his servant, were eating away at his body. With most of his body consumed, he had only a few days to live. His life was a flickering flame, meant to burn for the duration of the war.
The man was moving on sheer willpower, and his expression held a hint of relief.
"The irregular servant was on Sakura's side. Rider too. Then... maybe we can win."
Kariya, unaware that Sho's goal was to prevent the Grail from being completed, breathed a sigh of relief. Even if he had known, since Sakura was no longer under Zouken's control and Sho's goal was to defeat the Tohsaka servant, Kariya would still have sought an alliance. At this point, the main objective of Sho's plan had been achieved. While the formidable Heroic Spirit was still a problem, he had succeeded in forming a difficult alliance between servants.
However,
"Kaka! You seem to be in great pain, Kariya."
"Zo-Zouken?! You're alive?!"
"What a terrible thing to say to your father."
The world doesn't always go as you'd like. A grotesque figure with two eyes glowing in the darkness appeared: Zouken Matou, the monstrous head of the Matou family. The house was half-destroyed by Sho's attack, but Zouken had stubbornly survived.
"What do you want? No, more importantly, get ready to release Sakura-chan. You know she's not coming back to the Matou family. We've figured out a way to get the Grail!"
"...Hmph, that irregular brat! He's meddling!!"
Zouken had no intention of talking from the start. The reason he appeared before Kariya was singular.
Plop.
"...huh?"
Something fell. It wasn't hard, but rather something soft yet with some weight. Lying on the ground was Kariya's arm, etched with the Command Spells.
"--------!!"
He tried to scream in pain but couldn't.
"You fool. To accept my worms is to become my puppet."
It was pointless to say that to the now-cold Kariya. Zouken didn't even glance at his deceased son, focusing instead on the arm—specifically, the Command Spells.
"Let's get this over with quickly."
As he said, he didn't waste any time and transplanted Kariya's Command Spells to his own hand.
"Berserker."
"■■■■---"
The servant who had just been obeying Kariya was now completely under Zouken's control.
"That boy, he dares to say he wants to end the Holy Grail War? Does he think I would ever allow such a thing?"
Berserker turned into a spirit, and Zouken's body began to lose its shape.
"Grail's corruption? Different from its original form? That doesn't matter. The Holy Grail will be completed. No matter the means, haha!"
Sho's mistake was not ensuring Zouken's complete death. His lack of preparation was not having a means of communication with Kariya after they were separated by the sudden attack. What Sho didn't know was that Berserker's master had changed from Kariya to Zouken.
The Berserker faction, which Sho had thought would be easy to ally with, and the Saber faction, which he had thought would be difficult to convince, had turned out to be the complete opposite. This would cause Sho great trouble in the future.
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