In an endless white space, a man was playing with several "marbles" in his hand.
"It's a bit too quiet."
"I've decided. I'll randomly select some lucky individuals to fulfill their wishes."
He balanced the beautiful "marbles" in his hand, surveying them casually.
The man's identity?
That was meaningless; after all, he didn't know how long he had existed.
He only knew that the last time he saw others, they still called him that.
God.
However, that was an unknown time ago.
"Hmm, but if I just give it to them directly, it would be too boring."
"Oh, then let's hold a special war."
He murmured, as if he had seen something interesting.
As he thought, seven orange orbs appeared in his hand, each containing a different number of stars.
"For a start, let's pick Earth."
With a good choice of location and era, God began to select participants.
"..."
"..."
But just then, God also perceived the communication from two consciousnesses.
Gaia and Alaya of this place.
"You want two participant slots?"
"Hmm, it's not impossible, but don't pick anyone who would disrupt the situation too much."
"Although I know you want to replicate the existence of people from other worlds to create new Heroic Spirits, it doesn't matter."
Understanding the purposeful requests of these two beings, God agreed to their terms.
After all, the stage was on their turf, so showing some respect wasn't a bad thing.
When in a good mood, he was quite reasonable.
"Then... the Dimensional Dragon Ball War."
"Begin."
"This is a war that can truly grant wishes."
The seven orange orbs in his hand gradually shrank, then transformed into beams of light and flew to different locations...
"Declaration––"
In Fuyuki City late at night, a secret ritual was underway.
The Holy Grail War.
It was rumored that the omnipotent Holy Grail could grant any wish and even lead one to the "Root." The seven participants in this war, as Masters, commanded Servants to fight, and the ultimate victor would obtain the wish-granting device.
Tonight was also the time for many Masters to summon their Servants. Those chosen believed themselves to be the chosen ones.
The red mark appearing on the back of their hands was the symbol of a Master.
"Bang!!"
"Cough cough."
Weber Velvet, a student of the Clock Tower, had intervened in this war for some special reasons.
The spreading dust gradually cleared, and the shadow revealed within made him breathe a sigh of relief.
(The Servant summoning ritual was indeed successful.)
(I just don't know which Heroic Spirit it is.)
Although he didn't yet know who he had summoned, in this "unusual" Holy Grail War, it at least proved that he had the most basic protection.
His hand in his pocket gripped the orange orb tightly, and Weber became a little nervous.
When he clearly saw the face of the person in front of him, he looked somewhat stunned.
The overly cold aura, handsome face, jet-black hair, and deep purple pupils highlighted the owner's enchanting appearance. A magnificent white imperial attire made his extraordinary identity apparent.
Although his physique seemed overly slender, his presence was indeed astonishing.
"Are you my Master?"
The newcomer first sized him up, then asked.
"Yes!"
Weber responded nervously, inexplicably trembling a little.
"Is this Japan?"
Paying little attention to Weber's reaction, he looked back at his surroundings. From the high platform, he could even see the beautiful night view of the city.
"Eh?"
Hearing the other party's words, Weber was momentarily stunned. Although Servants were historical heroes, even with the infused knowledge, it was still somewhat strange to recognize the location so quickly.
"Nothing. Then allow me to introduce myself. After all, we are partners who will cooperate in the upcoming war, and a relationship without trust would be very troublesome."
"My class is Rider."
"My name..."
"Lelouch vi Britannia."
"Kirei, have you completed the summoning?"
"Yes, Master."
In the dark night mansion, Tokiomi, one of Fuyuki City's landlords, looked at his disciple with expectant eyes.
"My class is Assassin."
Without much hesitation, Kirei Kotomine stated the class of his Servant.
"An unconventional Assassin?"
"No matter. Used properly, it can give us a great advantage."
Tokiomi turned his gaze to the man leaning against the door. The man's deathly calm demeanor was truly intriguing.
Long reddish-brown hair tied in a ponytail, a distinct cross-shaped scar on his left cheek, eyes with a terrifying cold glint, dressed like an ancient ronin, with a katana at his waist.
"He is an exceptionally skilled swordsman. In a head-on confrontation, I might die in his hands in an instant, perhaps?"
Kirei Kotomine looked back at his Servant, recalling the commotion caused during the summoning.
His father was even so intimidated by the terrifying killing intent that he subconsciously tried to attack, almost getting cut down by a single strike.
The divine speed displayed by Assassin was something Kirei Kotomine found astonishing.
Battosai. Himura Kenshin.
The other party's title and name were authentically Japanese. His curiosity about the Servant's identity made Kirei Kotomine eager to immediately search through ancient texts and historical records.
"Don't belittle yourself."
"Servants are all exceptionally powerful heroes."
"A Master, of course, cannot be their opponent."
Holding a glass of red wine, Tokiomi smiled elegantly.
"Master, your Servant..."
"Ah, don't worry. As expected, it was successful."
But when asked about his own situation, Tokiomi's face clearly lit up, and he replied enthusiastically.
The Servant Tokiomi summoned was of the Archer class. As one of the Three Knight Classes, he had every reason to be happy.
After all, it was the most ancient king, famous in history.
Gilgamesh!
His status and strength were beyond doubt.
(Even with the so-called anomaly in this Holy Grail War, I still have the advantage.)
"Stop!"
"Kill him! Berserker!"
Merciless words came from within, and the purple-haired girl looked at the old man in front of her without any pity.
The Berserker, clad in black armor, charged forward.
"Do you think you can kill me like this?"
The old man, leaning on his wooden staff, stood on the stairs, smiling sinisterly. Although the Servant was strong, his foundation as a Magician was not to be underestimated.
Swarming insects attacked, but they were all vaporized by a miraculous light force.
That power was an energy the old man had never witnessed before.
"It just had to be you who was chosen."
As if sensing something, the old man looked at the sounds constantly coming from outside the door but ignored them.
His body was instantly crushed by the Berserker, but Zouken Matou didn't care at all.
"If these tiny orbs are gathered, any wish can be granted."
"In this Holy Grail War, I must obtain them."
Desire emerged from his heart, and Zouken Matou was already somewhat impatient.
Originally, he hadn't planned to participate in this Holy Grail War, but with the new variable, he naturally wanted to try.
Especially when Kariya didn't become a Master, and Matou Sakura was chosen instead, he was even more surprised.
Logically speaking, this was the most impossible situation.
But it happened, and he could only find a way to deal with it, otherwise, given the scope of the Holy Grail War, things would definitely not be peaceful.
Compared to Kariya, Sakura was incredibly talented.
He had initially intended to see how far Kariya could go.
In fact, he had indeed thought too much; even the Holy Grail wouldn't acknowledge that good-for-nothing.
He had wanted to modify this girl, adopted from the Tohsaka Family, a long time ago, but she had always been protected by a miraculous light's blessing.
Until today, when she summoned a Servant, it further confirmed Zouken Matou's speculation.
The girl's prayers and pleas were answered by some entity.
"Hmm?"
He was about to drive his main body, the "Crest Worms," out of hiding, but a huge surge of magical power suddenly erupted, which made Zouken Matou feel uneasy.
His instincts warned him to leave quickly.
"Boom!!"
A soaring black light erupted from the ground, tearing through the entire basement ceiling.
The remaining worms below were all swallowed and annihilated by the magical power, leaving only two figures.
One was Matou Sakura, with an indifferent expression, and the other was a warrior stroking her head, emanating black aura, clad in black armor, with an ominous greatsword strapped to his back, and a helmet obscuring his face.
"Berserker."
"It seems it's not as simple as this old man imagined."
Seeing through the other party's class at a glance, Zouken Matou suppressed the fear in his heart.
Although the other party didn't look like a benevolent type from their appearance alone, his extensive experience meant he wasn't afraid.
But in the next moment, his face changed drastically.
Because the other party charged towards his hiding place, moving so fast that he didn't even have the strength to struggle.
"Stop!"
Before he could resist much, his lifeline, the "Crest Worms" hidden in the shadows, was crushed.
(How did he find it?)
(How could my refined magecraft be seen through so easily?)
Feeling the threat of death, Zouken Matou didn't have time to think and immediately wanted to speak, but the other party showed no mercy and crushed his main body.
"Ah ah ah!!!"
With a sense of relief from Matou Sakura, the old man who had repeatedly tried to harm her finally turned into dust.
"Holy Grail War."
An orange orb rolled down from above. Matou Sakura trembled as she picked it up. The orb with four stars looked so beautiful.
With the corresponding knowledge instilled in her, she also understood what kind of dangerous struggle she was involved in.
(But... it's okay.)
(Because Berserker is here.)
In her despair, the only one who answered her cry for help was not her father Tokiomi, nor her mother Aoi, nor Uncle Kariya, nor her sister Rin.
It was Berserker, known as the "Warrior of Light"!
He was the strongest!
Matou Sakura believed this.
"Ptooey ptooey ptooey!!!"
"What is this?"
"How disgusting, this guy, he's just like Marik."
In a house, the golden-haired young man's tone was full of dissatisfaction as he looked at the filthy environment before him.
He was invited to participate in a duel that could grant any wish, so why did he encounter such a situation?
His partner turned out to be a perverted serial killer.
"Good thing he had an accident, otherwise, being teamed up with this guy would really annoy me."
He didn't know if the guy was unlucky, or if Jonouchi's strong luck was at work, but the serial killer Master had died instantly by hitting his head on the wall when he leaned back.
Witnessing this scene, Jonouchi looked disgusted. He picked up the "dragon ball" the other party had dropped, feeling a little uneasy at the same time.
"My class is Caster?"
"A role that fights using magecraft?"
"But I don't know magecraft. And what do I do if my so-called Master dies? If I don't have one, won't I be eliminated immediately?"
After worrying for a while, he still buried the guy, then started to get a headache.
"Oh, I know, maybe this will work."
He clapped his hands, as if he had thought of something, and mechanical constructs suddenly appeared on his left arm.
"Indeed, the Duel Disk and deck are both here!"
"Quickly, see if there are any cards I can use."
"Don't let me be eliminated before it even begins!!"
"I ask, are you my Master?"
Kiritsugu looked expressionlessly at the girl in holy armor asking the question, feeling absurd.
Was this girl the rumored "King Arthur"?
Or had he actually pulled a bad summon?
Although it seemed he had drawn a good card like Saber, he was still a bit surprised by her identity.
Without saying much, Kiritsugu ultimately chose to leave this situation for his wife, Irisviel, to handle.
"Do I need to collect seven?"
Touching the Command Seals on his hand, and considering the upcoming war, Kiritsugu frowned.
He then reached into his pocket and pulled out an orange orb, inscribed with a single star, conspicuously glowing in the night.
With questions, he thought,
"Can such a small thing truly grant wishes?"
"Kenneth, why are you so insistent on coming?"
"You said it was just a simple countryside competition, so why go to such lengths?"
Sola, who was about to depart, was very displeased with Kenneth's arrival. She had warned him multiple times, but his persistence in coming annoyed her somewhat.
She shouldn't have told him about this special Holy Grail War in the first place.
Masters needed to collect items called "dragon balls," and then their wishes could be granted.
Regardless of whether it was true or not, since she had been chosen, she naturally had the right to investigate.
And there was no reason to retreat.
Unfortunately, Kenneth, upon learning, seemed a bit restless and insisted on following her here.
"Sola, I'm just here as an assistant to help you."
"Although Lancer has manifested as a Heroic Spirit, she looks like nothing more than a little girl with an unknown background."
"Magical Girl? That's simply ridiculous."
Kenneth explained his actions. He hadn't been chosen for this Holy Grail War, but his fiancée being chosen was quite mysterious.
But adhering to the attitude of not being able to let it go, he still followed along.
With his help, things would be somewhat better.
After all, although Sola had summoned one of the Three Knight Classes this time, she seemed completely unreliable.
"Tsk."
The girl, wearing a light green casual outfit and blue jeans, with crimson long hair tied with a black bow, leaned against the wall and showed an unhappy expression upon hearing these words.
"Hmph, don't talk about Lancer like that. If you don't trust her, then don't get in the way."
Sola, hearing this, was also very unhappy. She had finally gotten an opportunity, but an "outsider" was incessantly chattering, saying, "Your card is no good," and "It's better to do it this way."
Someone who dictates before anything even begins is bound to be annoying.
"Fine, if you insist."
Clearing his throat and noticing his fiancée's displeasure, Kenneth didn't stubbornly continue with his low emotional intelligence.
At this point, the summoning of the seven Servants was complete, and the grand Holy Grail... Dragon Ball War was about to unfold.
PS: New book, please support!!! Please vote and recommend!!!
Also, for those who haven't watched Fate, here's a basic explanation of the settings.
Saber refers to a swordsman.
Lancer uses a spear.
Rider refers to someone who rides something.
Archer refers to someone who uses a bow (theoretically).
Berserker refers to a mad warrior.
Assassin is an assassin.
Caster is a Magician.
Each class represents different characters and uses, and it's actually quite easy to understand; you know what they're good at by their class.
The people who summon them are called "Masters."
Masters have three Command Seals, and they can expend one to forcefully make a Servant do something (but it's less effective against those with high magic resistance).
Basically, that's it.