The first day of the Holy Grail War, aside from the Assassin's brief and ignominious appearance, was dominated by the spectacular clash between Ailin and Gilgamesh.
The Masters who witnessed their battle felt a palpable sense of dread. Both Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon and Ailin's similar ability were terrifyingly powerful. Against such overwhelming force, numbers were meaningless.
Gilgamesh, however, was considered the greater threat. The Masters and Servants observing the fight had seen him unleash a Noble Phantasm. They understood the implications. He could unleash any of those countless treasures.
Every Heroic Spirit had their weaknesses, often linked to the circumstances of their death. The weapons that killed them could inflict double damage, or even instantly kill them. Against Gilgamesh, the odds of survival were slim. He possessed the prototype of every Noble Phantasm. He could exploit any Servant's weakness.
Despite this, the Heroic Spirits, legends in their own time, wouldn't concede defeat without a fight. The prospect of battling heroes from across the ages filled them with a fierce determination. They wouldn't back down simply because their opponent might possess a counter to their abilities.
The Masters, too, wouldn't surrender their chance at the Grail simply because their opponent's Servant seemed stronger. The Holy Grail War wasn't solely a Servant's stage. It was a battle of wits and strength between Master and Servant.
The clash between Ailin and Gilgamesh had provided valuable intelligence. The other Masters now had a better understanding of their abilities, allowing them to formulate strategies, to exploit their weaknesses should they face them in the future.
…
"Am I… still alive?" Maiya Hisau awoke in a private clinic, the pain in her body confirmed her continued existence.
"You're awake, Maiya." Kiritsugu Emiya, who had been smoking outside, quickly extinguished his cigarette and entered the room.
"I'm sorry, Kiritsugu. I failed," Maiya said, not acknowledging her injuries. "I failed the mission."
"Don't worry about the mission, Maiya. Rest. Irisviel will be here tomorrow. I'll have her heal you with her magecraft." Kiritsugu gently pressed Maiya back onto the bed.
"No!" Maiya instantly rejected his suggestion. "Kiritsugu, according to your plan, Irisviel is currently posing as Saber's Master, to conceal your identity. If she's seen with us, the others will realize you're Saber's true Master. It's too dangerous."
Maiya's priority was Kiritsugu's safety, not her own or Irisviel's. Kiritsugu was infamous within the mage community. He was known as the "Magus Killer." If his identity was revealed, the other Masters would undoubtedly target him before settling their own disputes. A mage who eschewed magecraft, relying instead on modern weaponry to hunt his own kind… Kiritsugu was reviled by the magical community.
Maiya knew this wouldn't be enough to dissuade him. To convince Kiritsugu, she had to appeal to his ideals. "Kiritsugu, have you forgotten your dream? The world needs you. Only you can bring peace. That's why we're here. Do you want all our efforts, all the sacrifices we've made, to be in vain?"
Kiritsugu's body trembled. For the sake of obtaining the Grail, for the sake of world peace, he had killed countless people over the years. Their deaths had paved his path to the Grail.
"I'm sorry, Maiya…" Tears streamed down Kiritsugu's face, a rare display of emotion.
He had known something was wrong when the upper floors of Maiya's hotel had suddenly sheared off. He'd rushed to the scene. He had seen the impossibly smooth cut, like polished glass.
Only a Servant could have inflicted such a wound. To avoid revealing himself, he had waited until Maiya was loaded into an ambulance, then used his Time Alter to retrieve her and bring her to this safehouse. Despite his first aid, without healing magecraft, Maiya wouldn't survive. Her refusal to allow Irisviel to treat her… it was a sacrifice, a final act of devotion.
"Don't be sad, Kiritsugu," Maiya said, raising her hand to wipe away his tears. "Dying for you… it's the greatest happiness I could ask for."
"Kiritsugu, be careful of that Servant from last night."
Despite knowing her time was short, Maiya showed no fear. She shared everything she had observed. "His Master is a middle-aged man with white hair. One of his arms seems immobile. He walks with a noticeable limp. I fired, but… there was a flash of white light, and my bullet disintegrated. Then, the hotel collapsed. The distance between my sniping position and the Tohsaka residence was approximately four thousand six hundred and twenty meters. That means the Servant wreathed in black flames possesses a Noble Phantasm or ability with a range of nearly five kilometers."
Kiritsugu held Maiya tightly, listening intently to her final intelligence report.
As night deepened, a single gunshot echoed through the clinic. The lights went out.
Minutes later, Kiritsugu emerged, his face expressionless. He lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, then tossed the lighter back into the clinic. The flaming lighter arced through the open doorway. Flames erupted, consuming the clinic. Sparks danced in the night sky, swirling like a fiery tornado before extinguishing, their ashes falling gently to the earth.
…
The sun rose, banishing the darkness and illuminating the world.
A magus's power stemmed from "mystery."
The less known, the more potent their magecraft. The more widespread a spell, the more diluted its power, until it eventually lost its mystery, its power. Thus, the mage community cloaked itself in secrecy, hidden from the mundane world.
To protect the mysteries of magecraft, the Mage's Association had been established, tasked with regulating the dissemination of magical knowledge and punishing those who violated its laws.
A mage who wished to avoid the Association's scrutiny wouldn't use magecraft in broad daylight. If witnessed, the only option was to eliminate the observer, to preserve the secrecy of magic.
During the Fifth Holy Grail War, Shirou Emiya had witnessed a Servant battle and been targeted by Lancer's Master. Had Rin Tohsaka not arrived and healed his heart with her jewel magecraft, the Heroic Spirit EMIYA might never have existed.
Thus, a mage's battles were fought under the cover of darkness. Day belonged to the ordinary world. Day was also when the Mage's Association cleaned up the aftermath of nightly conflicts, attributing the damage to mundane causes: structural failures, gas explosions, traffic accidents, even terrorist attacks. As long as the ordinary world remained oblivious to the true nature of these events, the mysteries of magecraft remained safe.
A plane landed at Fuyuki Airport. Saber, dressed in a black suit, and Irisviel von Einzbern, a vision in white, disembarked. Saber's earlier suggestion that she could pilot the plane by attaching reins to it had amused Irisviel. However, it wasn't entirely a joke.
Saber possessed B-rank Riding. She could control any mount, with the exception of Phantasmal Beasts and Monstrous Beasts. A plane, while a technological creation, was still a "mount." If Saber so desired, she could indeed pilot a plane with reins.
Lancelot, in his Berserker state, had done so. He had not only piloted a fighter jet, but, fueled by his Mad Enhancement and his "Knight Undying With Empty Hands" skill, had even engaged Gilgamesh in an aerial dogfight, injuring the King of Heroes.
During the day, Saber accompanied Irisviel, playing the role of her "prince."
The partial collapse of the nearby hotel had unnerved Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald and his fiancée, Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri. They abandoned their high-rise suite and sought a new residence. It was during this search that Sola-Ui first saw Diarmuid Ua Duibhne's face, and was captivated by the teardrop birthmark beneath his eye.
Kirei Kotomine, following the rules of the Holy Grail War, sought sanctuary at the church after his Servant's defeat. He entered the church under the watchful gaze of other magi.
Ryūnosuke Uryū loitered outside an elementary school, searching for his next victim.
Tokiomi Tohsaka remained at his residence. However, after witnessing the battle between Ailin and Gilgamesh, he felt uneasy relying on Gilgamesh alone. He awaited news from his disciple, Kirei Kotomine, hoping he would locate Berserker's Master. Then, he would dispatch Assassin to eliminate them, securing his victory.
Waver Velvet and Iskandar shopped for supplies. Iskandar's imposing figure and Waver's diminutive stature and effeminate appearance drew curious glances from passersby, much to Waver's chagrin. He hid behind Iskandar, complaining incessantly. Iskandar, however, paid little attention to Waver's complaints. As a King, he would listen to his subjects' counsel, but whether he heeded it was his prerogative.
Within hours, Kiritsugu Emiya's beard had grown considerably, adding to his already disheveled appearance. Unlike the other Masters, he spent his day poring over intelligence reports provided by the Einzberns. His gaze focused on two photographs. The first was of Kariya Matou, taken shortly after his return to Fuyuki City a year ago. Black hair, a bright smile… despite a hint of melancholy, he seemed like an ordinary, cheerful young man.
The second photograph was of a man with white hair, a slightly stooped posture, a crippled left arm and right leg, and a clouded, seemingly blind eye. It was hard to believe these two photographs depicted the same person, taken only a year apart. However, after comparing the surveillance footage of Kariya with images of all known magi participating in the Fourth Holy Grail War, Kiritsugu reached a conclusion. They were the same person. This was the Master of the Berserker Maiya had warned him about.
"Kariya Matou…" Kiritsugu muttered, crumpling the photographs in his hand.
"Maiya…" He took a deep breath and lit another cigarette. While his instincts screamed for revenge, to eliminate both Kariya and his Berserker, Kiritsugu knew, after investigating the Servants who had appeared, Archer's true identity. He was Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes.
Legend held that he possessed all the treasures in the world. His power was undoubtedly at the pinnacle of all Heroic Spirits. Kiritsugu didn't believe Saber could defeat him. To even stall, let alone kill, Gilgamesh, Berserker's power was essential.