"Wake up, wake up, Dad?"
It was a cold winter morning. Even with the heater on, getting out of bed still felt unbearable.
Curled up under the blankets, Tenkei Shiomi felt a small pair of hands tugging on his covers, a soft voice urging him to wake up.
"Isn't today a day off from school... Why are you up so early, Sakura...?"
Lifting the blanket from his face, Shiomi opened one eye and sleepily looked at the girl.
Sakura Tohsaka... or rather, she should now be called Sakura Shiomi.
It had been two years since he adopted her from Tokiomi Tohsaka, and her surname had long since changed.
Compared to her timid self at the beginning, after settling in Fuyuki and living with him day in and day out, Sakura had gradually accepted her role as his daughter.
The fact that she'd barge into his room like this on a winter morning, waking him up from a lazy sleep, was proof she had gotten used to life in the Shiomi household.
"But it's already noon!" Sakura said with a mix of excitement and nervousness. "And I finished the homework you gave me, Dad!"
Shiomi immediately perked up a bit. He sat up in bed, rubbing his messy hair as he looked at Sakura standing at his bedside.
Homework.
Not schoolwork, but the kind of assignments Shiomi gave her—knowledge and skills essential for a Magus.
These past two years in Fuyuki had been peaceful. With two children and a stable life, Shiomi had become somewhat lax.
He still handled household chores and took both Sakura and Caren to and from school, but sleeping in on days off had become a new tradition in the Shiomi home.
At least Caren had embraced this tradition. Sakura, not so much.
Recently, Shiomi had assigned Sakura the task of helping him in the workshop—using magical materials to draw the summoning array that would soon be used for the Holy Grail War.
"Ah... right. It's almost time to summon Heroic Spirits and call forth the Servants." Shiomi took a deep breath, letting the cold air help clear his mind. "Alright then, let's take a look at your homework and give it a grade."
Seeing him fully awake, Sakura beamed with joy. She nodded and ran out of the room.
After washing up and having lunch, he took Sakura down to the magical workshop located in the basement of their house.
Caren was only five—much younger than Sakura—and didn't show the same aptitude for Magecraft. Shiomi had decided to wait until she was a bit older before introducing her to the world of Magecraft and the Holy Church.
"Actually, Dad, I've already memorized how to use the runes you taught me," Sakura said cheerfully as they descended the stairs.
"Oh? That's excellent. Once you're more proficient, I can start teaching you about the Primordial Runes." Shiomi gave her a pleased smile.
"Primordial Runes..." Sakura repeated the words, trying to recall what she knew. "That's what your master taught you, right?"
She already understood that they were different from the runes used by modern Magus.
They were the magical foundation discovered by Odin, the great god of Norse mythology.
"That's right." Shiomi placed his hand on the stone door, which responded and opened.
The Primordial Runes.
Shiomi never expected the first place he'd end up would be the Land of Shadows—a realm of illusions and magic.
Maybe it had been a test from the system, challenging him to survive in such a place.
And somehow, without realizing it, he did survive. On the brink of death, he encountered the queen of that realm—Scáthach.
She accepted him as a warrior and taught him.
Shiomi had no idea how much time had passed since then, nor could he calculate his current age.
In the end, he simply decided to count the year he entered the Mage's Association as his eighteenth birthday.
"Dad, when are you going to tell me that story again?" Sakura held up a lantern, trying to light the dim underground workshop. "It's so dark down here."
"Forgot what you're supposed to do again?" Shiomi asked.
Sakura blinked, then nodded. "Oh, right."
She stretched out her hand, focused her mana into her fingers, and tried to snap to activate the lighting.
But after a few failed tries, no spark came.
Seeing her get discouraged, Shiomi held back a chuckle and snapped his fingers. The magic crystals embedded in the workshop walls lit up with a soft blue glow, illuminating the space.
Shiomi looked down and clearly saw the pattern on the ground—it was the summoning array needed by a Master for the ritual.
"That story?" Shiomi asked as he crouched down to inspect the summoning circle, checking that every detail was in place.
Sakura nodded. "The one about Odin, the great Norse god, who sacrificed himself to obtain the Primordial Runes."
"Didn't I already tell you that one before bed with Caren?" Shiomi looked confused.
"I want to hear it again," Sakura said, her voice full of childlike pleading.
"Fine, you can hear it again—but not tonight," Shiomi replied. "Tonight, we're performing the summoning ritual. You can either go to bed early or stay up and observe the Heroic Spirit Summoning."
Sakura tilted her head, thinking. "I want to observe."
"Then go get some sleep now and wake up in the evening," Shiomi said as he stood up. "I've still got preparations to make."
"Okay."
Though she could be a bit willful sometimes, Sakura usually listened to Shiomi well.
Even at her young age, she understood how much her new father cared for and loved her. So no matter what Shiomi said, she was always willing to follow his lead.
After setting down the lantern, Sakura turned to leave the workshop, stepping toward the stairs—only to remember something she had forgotten to ask.
"Dad… you haven't given me a score yet."
Shiomi blinked, then held up an OK sign. "Isn't it obvious? Full marks, of course."
With a happy grin, Sakura ran out.
Once she was gone, Shiomi finally stood and turned back to the summoning circle, scowling with frustration.
As much as he wanted to forget about the Holy Grail War and just slack off, he couldn't.
The Command Spell on the back of his left hand had been clearly visible from the start, and the system had been hounding him every day for the past month—more relentless than a loan shark.
"Shit! Fine, I'll do it already!"
He cursed at the invisible system with a snarl.
The preparations didn't take too long or too little—before he knew it, night had fallen, and the time for the summoning ritual had come.
"By the way, Dad, don't you need a catalyst for the summoning?" Sakura asked.
"No... I've thought it through. I want to prioritize compatibility between Servant and Master. On top of that, I'll include a Mad Enhancement incantation to summon a Berserker who suits me best and will be easiest to control."
And as his trump card—completely unknown to the Mage's Association, unlike the partial analyses from Touko Aozaki—he held all eighteen complete Primordial Runes, long lost since the Age of Gods.
With divine-level Magecraft supporting a catalyst-free summon, aimed at drawing the most compatible Berserker, Tenkei Shiomi's strategy was already set.
"It's time, Sakura. Step back to the wall."
"Okay."
At Shiomi's instruction, Sakura moved to the edge of the room to watch the ritual unfold.
She had personally drawn the summoning circle for him and had memorized the entire process after doing it once.
In erasure lies retreat—four retreat arrays were inscribed, then enclosed with a summoning circle. The sequence had to be flawless.
Tenkei Shiomi extended his left hand, engraved with the Command Spell, and began chanting:
"Its foundation is silver and iron. Its base is stone and the grand contract.
My ancestor—my teacher—is Scáthach."
He had included his mentor's name in the chant to strengthen the summoned Heroic Spirit's recognition, ensuring the summoning of a Servant with high potential.
A similar precedent was seen in the Tohsaka family, who would invoke the name of the Wizard Marshal—Zelretch Schweinorg—during their rituals, as he was their founder's teacher.
"Raise a wall before the wind's descent. Close the four cardinal gates. Emerge from the crown.
Circle endlessly at the three-pronged road to the kingdom.
Seal. Seal. Seal. Seal. Seal.
Repeat the sealing five times.
When filled, discard it.
—Proclamation.
Your body shall rest under mine, and my fate shall lie with your blade.
If you heed the call of the Holy Grail, if you accept this will and reason, then respond!
Here is my oath.
I am the one who shall accomplish all good in the world.
I am the one who shall commit all evil in the world.
Yet you shall shroud your eyes in chaos, and serve me.
You, imprisoned in the cage of madness—I am the one who holds your key.
You, bound by the three great words for seven days.
Come forth from the Wheel of Restraint, guardian of the Scales—!"
The moment the chant ended, Shiomi felt Mana surge violently through his body. It was a cold, searing pain—Magic Circuits writhing within him, a torment every Magus had to endure.
His vision dimmed as the runes engraved on his body drew in mana from the atmosphere to fuel the ritual.
By now, his body had shed all traces of human functionality, becoming a component in a miracle—a circuit linking the spiritual and material realms.
The rapid surge of mana made his body tremble in pain, but compared to the merciless training he endured in the Land of Shadows under Scáthach, it was nothing.
Behind him, Sakura stood with her hands clasped, nervously watching the descent of the summoned spirit.
Wind and lightning howled around them. The pressure was so intense she had to shield her eyes with her hands.
At the center of the storm, the summoning circle blazed with brilliance.
The magical pathway finally connected to another world, and from within the blinding light emerged a figure wreathed in deep blue and jet black.
"Servant, Berserker. I answer the summoning... You over there, Magus—so you're the one who called me... who summoned me..."
A voice rang out, icy cold and almost mechanical, cutting through the mist and radiance.
Just as Shiomi was reeling from the shock that a Berserker could speak with such clarity and reason, the Servant seemed equally stunned.
Clack—clack—clack—
Berserker stepped through the mist and closed the distance toward Tenkei Shiomi.
She was a woman, about 170 centimeters tall, with long, cascading silver hair and an elegant face.
The tips of her hair shimmered faintly blue, matching the hue of her eyes.
A flicker of emotion—perhaps surprise—flashed through those frozen-lake-like eyes before vanishing.
"..."
She stared at him in silence.
"That's right. I'm the Magus who summoned you." Not understanding her reaction, Shiomi chalked it up to some unique condition caused by her berserker nature. He raised his left hand and revealed the Command Spell. "I am your Master."
The next moment, she reached out and lightly touched the Command Spell on the back of his hand, moving so fast that Shiomi didn't even have time to react.
If she'd chosen to betray him right then, a single swing could have severed the very hand bearing the Command Spell.
As that thought crossed his mind, she withdrew her hand.
"I'm the Servant who'll assist you in this Holy Grail War. You could say... it's fate."
The surprise in her voice had faded, replaced by playful ease. With an air of teasing, she gently cupped Shiomi's chin.
He didn't know what she was after, but one thing was clear—he was being toyed with.
Narrowing his eyes, Shiomi used the system's authority as a Master to identify her true name.
And the moment he saw it, he froze.
"Well then, let's forget my earlier behavior. Time for a proper introduction—my name is Morgan, the Fairy Queen. I offer my strength as your Servant."
"You're who?!"
Even though he'd just confirmed it, Shiomi still couldn't believe what he was hearing.