Half an hour ago.
As a city near the coast, Fuyuki in this era was still developing.
During the day, people busied themselves with their work, and at night, they rarely ventured out.
Because of this, the night belonged to the world of mages.
In the Matou residence, Kariya Matou leaned against a wall, clutching one arm, gazing up as snowflakes drifted down from the sky, feeling the bone-chilling cold of winter seeping into his marrow.
The news of Matou Zouken's death at the hands of Saber's Master had reached him not long ago.
Upon receiving this news, Kariya felt a wave of relief, but it was quickly followed by a complex mix of emotions.
After all, even though he despised Matou Zouken, without this pillar, it was obvious that the Matou family would face a long decline.
And... it seemed he had lost his reason for participating in the Holy Grail War.
Thinking of this, Kariya looked up at the red magical array before him, his eyes filled with conflict.
To save Sakura Matou, he had willingly undergone Zouken's modifications, implanting Command Seals into his body and joining this Holy Grail War.
But now... with Sakura already saved by Saber, did he still have any reason to participate in the Holy Grail War?
Once he chose to summon a Servant, the life of "Kariya Matou" would likely end when the Holy Grail War concluded.
Yet, both the Tohsaka and Einzbern families knew the Matou family was one of the participants in the Holy Grail.
Even if he gave up, they likely wouldn't let him off easily.
And Tohsaka Tokiomi... that elegant yet insufferably arrogant man had unhesitatingly pushed Sakura into the Matou family's "abyss" and caused Aoi so much worry... No matter what, Kariya had to teach him a lesson.
As these thoughts solidified, the last trace of fear in his heart seemed to be consumed by hatred.
He slowly extended his hand, about to chant the summoning incantation, when a clear, melodious voice suddenly emerged from the shadows behind him.
"Loving another man's wife, willing to burn yourself for her without regret... Though your personality isn't particularly likable, you could still be considered a man."
Hearing the voice, Kariya froze, instinctively turning to look behind him before he was stunned for a moment.
The woman in front of him was breathtakingly beautiful.
Even with her face veiled, her intoxicating aura was palpable, her elegant dress accentuating her noble and captivating presence.
"Who are you...?"
Kariya quickly snapped back to reality, asking instinctively.
"Someone who saw your hesitation and came to help."
The woman spoke calmly.
"There are only seven Master slots in Fuyuki's Holy Grail War, and you're the last one who hasn't summoned a Servant... I know you're conflicted, so—"
"Hand over your Command Seals, Kariya Matou."
Her voice remained calm and indifferent, as if she were a lofty empress, naturally commanding him to obey. "In return, I can help you take revenge on the head of the Tohsaka family."
"...You must hate Tohsaka Tokiomi, don't you? Hate him for taking the woman you love, hate the world's injustice, and even despise the slaughter of this Holy Grail War."
"You... who the hell are you?!"
As if his deepest thoughts had been exposed, a flash of crazed killing intent flickered in Kariya's gray-white eyes as engraved insects surged from behind him, lunging toward Morgan le Fay.
But before they could reach her, they were silently swallowed by a shadow.
"You don't need to know my identity... All you need to know is that I can help you, and all I ask in return are the three Command Seals on your hand."
Morgan le Fay's red lips parted slightly beneath her veil, her voice like that of a bewitching witch. "Your body has already been pushed to the brink of collapse by that inferior engraved insect magecraft.
If you abandon the Holy Grail War now, I can at least ensure you live another ten years."
"I know that for someone like you, living holds little meaning...
But don't you want to see the child you wish to protect grow up?"
"Don't you want to see what becomes of Sakura Matou and the woman you love?"
Kariya's mind, which had been on the verge of a breakdown, suddenly calmed.
Seeing this, a captivating smile bloomed on Morgan le Fay's stunning face beneath her veil.
"Kariya Matou... A lonely person like you finds warmth in the happiness of others, like a moth that flies toward a flame despite knowing it will burn."
"You don't care if you burn to death... As long as you can feel that warmth, you're satisfied, and for that, you're willing to pay any price."
"The old me was like you, yearning for that same warmth, so I understand your feelings... This Holy Grail War, I'm also fighting for that warmth."
Kariya's eyes widened slowly, staring at the woman before him with uncertainty.
When she removed her veil, his expression changed dramatically.
"...Morgan le Fay?!"
...
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Morgan wasn't the only one struggling with the lack of a "slot."
Artoria, who had also crossed over, faced the same issue.
She looked up at the falling snow under the night sky, letting out a soft breath: "Looks like I'll have to resort to special means, huh?"
Though she, as a transmigrator, possessed the power of her "original self," using that power would likely affect the "Human Order."
She wasn't some "Beast" and had no interest in obstructing the Human Order.
In the end, her purpose for crossing over was singular... There was no need to disrupt the Human Order or invite more trouble.
After a brief moment of hesitation, she let out a soft sigh.
"If that's the case, I'll just have to accept someone else's summoning as a spiritual entity..."
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"...Lily?"
As time ticked by, the heavy snow swirled in the cold wind, and at some point, Fuyuki had transformed into a city of snow.
In the silence of the night, only Alvin's strained voice echoed through the space.
At this moment, his usual calm demeanor was completely gone, replaced by countless question marks swirling in his mind.
He knew that this Holy Grail War already included Artoria, so even with a timeline shift, it wouldn't be surprising if she appeared in response to a summoning.
But—
Why was Morgan here?!
And that wasn't all, Morgan was actually Artoria's Master...?
Mordred, standing nearby, was equally stunned, as was Kayneth, hidden in the shadows.
This Master-Servant pair was now in a state of near-numbness.
When Kayneth summoned Mordred, he had already been planning strategies for the final opponents of the Holy Grail War.
After all, this was the child of the White Dragon and the Red Dragon, a special existence modified by Morgan le Fay herself... In a sense, this rebellious knight was the child of all three.
Logically, a Servant of such high caliber shouldn't fear even an extraordinary Servant.
But now, the rebellious knight's parents... and even Morgan le Fay herself had shown up.
...It felt like the Holy Grail War had suddenly turned into a British family drama.
"From the looks of it, are these old acquaintances of Saber?"
The Conqueror King sized up the Master-Servant pair not far ahead, sinking into brief contemplation before glancing at Waver, who was trembling slightly beside him.
"Why are you so scared? Don't tell me you know Caster?"
"You really don't know?"
Waver was stunned for a moment, before silently facepalming. "Well, I suppose it makes sense. The era you lived in was quite distant from King Arthur's time, so it's not surprising you're unfamiliar with Britain's stories..."
Waver began quietly explaining something to the Conqueror King.
Gilgamesh, too, was observing the pair nearby, his eyes soon narrowing slightly.
The platinum-haired woman in front could be set aside for now, but the woman behind her... no matter how you looked at it, her Spirit Origin seemed particularly unique...
"Caster, huh... To think this Holy Grail War has more than two Servants capable of entertaining this King?"
"It seems this Holy Grail War will be far more interesting than I imagined."
The moment Gilgamesh saw Altria, he immediately sensed something unusual about her.
Typically, a Servant's strength is determined by their Spirit Origin.
The larger the Spirit Origin, the greater the Servant's magical energy tends to be.
(So Artoria Saber would be Artoria, and caster would be Altria...is it okay?)
And Altria, summoned by Morgan le Fay in her Caster form, possessed a Spirit Origin far beyond the normal scope of a Servant.
Altria glanced at the Golden King atop the streetlamp before quickly withdrawing her gaze. "The person I'm looking for isn't you."
As she spoke, she turned her attention to the young man in front of her.
Her emerald-green eyes carried a faint smile: "Nothing to say, Saber?"
"I joined this Holy Grail War... specifically to find you."
Though his heart was in a panic,
Alvin maintained a calm demeanor on the surface, smiling: "I never expected we'd meet again like this."
"Indeed... and I didn't expect to run into so many familiar faces all at once."
As she spoke, Altria's gaze inadvertently shifted to Mordred.
It was just a glance, but Mordred's body trembled slightly, as if a mouse had encountered a cat.
"Hold on, I have a question for Caster."
At that moment, the Conqueror King, having been briefly brought up to speed by Waver's explanation of this British family drama, spoke up.
"Servants are summoned because of unfulfilled wishes from their lives, answering the call of their Masters... Is your wish really just to see Saber?"
"Precisely," Altria replied.
She looked at Alvin, a smile spreading across her face: "To be more exact... it's to help him fulfill his wish."
Her words left not only the enemies observing the battlefield from the shadows stunned but also caused the Servants present to exchange subtle glances.
The Conqueror King blinked in surprise: "Two Servants collaborating in the Holy Grail War, that's against the rules, isn't it...?"
"How do you have the nerve to say that?!" Waver couldn't help but retort.
Not long ago, the Conqueror King had tried to rope everyone into "collaborating" and even wanted them to become his vassals.
And now he had the audacity to question Caster's intentions?
Morgan le Fay, smiling softly, extended her hand, speaking in a gentle yet melodious voice. "Saber, join my side."
"With my magical circuits... supporting both you and Lily in maintaining your presence in this world wouldn't be an issue."
Who just poaches someone else's Servant right in front of their Master...?
Though Alvin kept a smile on his face, it was clear he was struggling to hold it together.
At that moment, Manaka Sajyou suddenly grabbed Alvin's hand and pulled him behind her.
With a bright smile, she looked up at the woman in front of her and said softly: "In the Holy Grail War, each Master can only have one Servant... If everyone acted as lawlessly as you, what would be the point of the rules?"
"Besides, restricted as you are by the 'Counter Force,' do you really think you can take Saber from me right in front of my face... Aren't you overestimating yourself?"
As she spoke, Manaka Sajyou lowered her eyes slightly, and the once-bright sparkle in her gaze seemed to darken considerably.
Boom!
In the next moment, a blinding light like the sun erupted, resembling an enraged fire dragon, illuminating the girl's golden hair strand by strand.
"Is this girl really a Master...?"
Even though Waver had previously witnessed Manaka Sajyou's magecraft, seeing this scene still filled him with shock.
The Servants present also had subtle shifts in their expressions.
Having already fought Matou Zouken and used such large-scale magecraft, Manaka still possessed such immense magical energy....
Her performance far exceeded their expectations.
Saber's Master... was indeed a dangerous individual.
Amid the delicate atmosphere among those present, Alvin had completely fallen into a daze.
He even regretted leaving the Tohsaka residence so early.
If he had known this would happen, he might as well have stayed longer at Tokiomi's place...
[Congratulations on unlocking a special CG achievement: The Choice of the Shura Field: Part One.
(Upon completing this achievement, you will receive a special golden title)]
A CG scene quietly appeared, depicting Manaka Sajyou standing in front of Alvin, confronting the Morgan le Fay sisters in the snowy night.
Before Alvin could react, another interface silently emerged before his eyes.
[Please choose between Manaka Sajyou and Morgan le Fay, who seems to have arrived in Fuyuki via 'transmigration travel.'
This choice will affect the future course of the Holy Grail War. Please decide carefully, Host.]
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