The Clock Tower is fundamentally divided into three major factions.
As is widely known, these are the Aristocratic Faction, the Democratic Faction, and the Neutral Faction. Their distinctions lie primarily in whether they view the Industrial Revolution through a positive or critical lens.
The House of Animusphere technically belongs to the Aristocratic Faction, but since their actual conduct leaned closer to the Democratic ideals of progress, they occasionally drew the ire of their peers. However, since their disposition was that of a 'Hermit' family that kept to themselves, they were able to continue their activities while ignoring any warnings.
"I am Emiya Kiritsugu, appointed as the combat training supervisor for the Chaldea staff. Pleasure to meet you, Lady."
"…The Magus Killer."
"That title has been retired for a long time. I'd appreciate it if you dropped it."
"Hmph. You should consider it an honor that a third-rate magus like you was even accepted into a place like this."
"…Third-rate, is it? Well, I wouldn't know about that."
The man who was once the Magus Killer—now returned as the head of the Emiya family, which had become a prestigious lineage of magecraft in its own right—wore a bitter smile as he observed her.
'Her skill itself is first-class, bordering on top-tier. However, because she hasn't inherited the Crest itself yet, she is still immature… I could kill her at any moment if I intended to, but since that guy designated her as the next Director, she is a target I must not kill.'
Of course, that didn't mean he lacked confidence.
Karma Kirigaya, the Third Magician who possessed a mysterious ability to foresee future events to a certain degree, had stated it directly. He asserted that even Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald—who ranked at the very top of the current Clock Tower Lords, barring only Barthomeloi—would fall in defeat before him.
'Well, that's naturally assuming I use my trump card, the Origin Bullet.'
Although Karma Kirigaya, the Third Magician, had told him that everything would resolve itself as long as he provided a suitable 'threat,' Emiya Kiritsugu still felt the need to prepare secondary and tertiary plans.
To be precise, it would be more accurate to say he didn't fully trust Karma's words.
Does it make sense for the source of human extinction to commit suicide just because someone threatens them with a gun? At the very least, Emiya Kiritsugu's 'common sense' dictated otherwise.
"Ah."
"Hmm? You are..."
While lost in thought, Emiya Kiritsugu spotted a woman who looked slightly flustered upon seeing him, and he immediately realized who she was.
She was someone who had infiltrated before him, and according to the Third Magician, she was a supernatural user who ranked within the top three in terms of pure physical power: Fujino Asagami.
'…But her Mystic Eyes of Distortion are also a no-go. He said to use her as much as I want if possible, but the uniqueness of those eyes is far too conspicuous.'
"You're the new person. I've heard about you… You said you're the staff member in charge of combat, right?"
"Yes. Emiya Kiritsugu."
"Wow! You're from Japan. I'm Japanese too. My name is Fujino Asagami. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Emiya."
"Yeah, nice to meet you too."
After a brief greeting and confirmation, Fujino Asagami returned to her post. Emiya Kiritsugu fell into contemplation, fiddling with the Thompson Center Contender resting in his sleeve.
'Then, how should I go about killing Marisbury…?'
*
"He should have arrived by now. He's probably agonizing over how to kill Marisbury, isn't he?"
"Most likely. By the way, hadn't you mentioned this to the others as well?"
"For now, only to Daybit and Kirschtaria… Aside from Beryl, they're all trustworthy, but Kirschtaria and Daybit are the only ones with mental fortitude strong enough to accept a future like the 'Incineration of the Human Order.'"
"…It's a bit of a comedy that out of all those factions, there are only two people who are both trustworthy and possess Rayshift aptitude. Isn't it?"
"It's only been three years. If we look a bit more, we might find at least one more."
After the Aylesbury Valesti incident, which had once again thrown the world of magecraft into upheaval, several families and organizations—starting with the Lord factions leading the Clock Tower—rose up and began to advocate for a single 'Unified Force.'
That declaration, which began with the Aozaki family, to which the Fifth Magician and the Grand Puppetmaster belonged, gained further strength as the head of the Kuonji family (a close associate of the sisters) and his personal disciple Sakura Tohsaka joined in. Rin Tohsaka, who received the patronage of the Fifth Magician, also added her strength by proving her qualifications as the acting head of her family.
Until then, most had dismissed it as a Magician playing games. However, immediately afterward, the situation began to shift when Waver Velvet—who, despite having the lowest evaluation, was practically the next department head of the Department of Modern Magecraft—promptly sided with the Magicians.
The Lore Department, often referred to as the 'Demon's Den of the Clock Tower,' submitted itself to the new faction led by Aoko Aozaki. The alliance was further solidified when they crushed Doctor Heartless, who had been in a factional struggle with them, and took complete control of the Lore Department.
…Of course, even then, people thought Waver Velvet was merely trying to compensate for his lack of standing and backing by leaning on a Magician.
[As of today, we, the El-Melloi faction, withdraw from the Aristocratic Faction.]
It happened the very day after Waver Velvet announced the expulsion of Doctor Heartless following a mutual agreement with Aoko Aozaki.
Lord Valualeta, recommended by Touko Aozaki, and Lord El-Melloi, recommended by Waver Velvet. These two, considered giants of the Aristocratic and Democratic factions respectively, simultaneously declared their alignment with the Magician's faction. This resulted in an instantaneous shift in the power dynamics of the Clock Tower.
Starting with minor houses like the House of Zemlupus, mid-to-small families such as the Lucifuge, Latialiddes, and Wodime families all simultaneously requested to join the New Alliance. Factions holding the leadership of departments that had maintained a somewhat ambiguous neutrality began inquiring all at once about non-aggression pacts or potential alliances.
Naturally, Barthomeloi, the head of the Aristocratic Faction, revolted against this and visited Lord El-Melloi to impose direct sanctions.
…Or more accurately, he was only 'able' to visit.
[Hello?]
This was because the Princess of the True Ancestors just happened to be in England for a date at that very moment.
Waver Velvet, who had volunteered to be her guide in London, took her to the Clock Tower to introduce her to his former mentor, and very naturally introduced her as a new member of the emerging force.
…Right in front of Barthomeloi.
Once the True Ancestor Princess declared her participation, Gransurg Blackmore, famous as the 'Apostle of the Magus,' and the 20th-ranked Dead Apostle Ancestor Merem Solomon also naturally declared their support for the new faction. The power struggle between the Clock Tower and the emerging alliance was completely overturned.
The asymmetric assets known as Magicians were equal, with the Second and Fifth Magicians on opposing conceptual sides, and the number of elite magi such as Enforcers and Lords was still far greater on the Clock Tower's side. Compared to those they classified as 'heretics,' the Clock Tower still held a slight numerical advantage in overall power… but who could have guessed that another asymmetric asset would appear?
Naturally, the Clock Tower did not stay still. Barthomeloi went as far as mobilizing her own personal guard, the Khton Battalion, to launch a retaliation.
Small to medium-sized departments and families were targeted. Particularly, the El-Melloi faction—originally an Aristocratic sub-faction—suffered various issues, such as disciples being attacked or magecraft strikes occurring on their territories. Whether it was due to a lapse in management by the Holy Church or an invasion by 'someone,' Gransurg Blackmore, who had managed to escape during a certain incident, engaged in close-quarters combat with Lorelei Barthomeloi. The Khton Battalion attempted to capture Merem Solomon, resulting in various brawls and incidents, including a retreat due to urban destruction.
The Fifth Magician, of course, did not take this sitting down. Alongside her sister, she began active operations, such as laying waste to the Department of Policies or working with her associate, the Third Magician, to intercept and counter-attack the Khton Battalion.
Just as this back-and-forth tug-of-war—which slightly favored the emerging forces—continued, those who would completely shatter the balance of power appeared.
[The Director of the Institute of Atlas, Zepia Eltnam Sokaris, and the next Director, Sion Eltnam Atlasia, acknowledging the immense contribution of the Fifth Magician Aoko Aozaki and the Third Magician Karma Kirigaya toward the resolution of Atlas's long-standing wish, hereby grant them the authority to access all classified documents and research results of the First Rank and below.]
The Institute of Atlas, which held a strict law that no research should ever be shared.
Their permission to share research signified an absolute trust and a will for alliance.
At that very moment, people could sense that the absolute authority of the Mage's Association, which had remained unmoved for nearly a thousand years, was finally shifting.
A completely new power, a completely new faction… the birth of a new force that would bring total change to those who had been fighting tooth and nail under the names of Aristocracy and Progress.
[The Holy Church hereby declares an equal alliance with the New Alliance, the so-called AOD, aiming for the eradication of Dead Apostles and the infinite advancement of humanity, the Primates of the world.]
Naturally, Narbareck, who had given them a three-year grace period, moved diligently to secure an equal alliance before they grew so large that any contract would be unfavorable to her. Finally, she was able to wrap things up by forming an alliance on relatively equal footing.
Though the Einzberns had not officially joined, it was an open secret that the Third Magician was pulling their strings from behind the scenes… Thus, though the AOD was a force less than three years old, it stood tall as a massive power that eclipsed the Clock Tower.
"Master Kayneth, let us begin soon."
"Hmm, that would be for the best. How long did you say it would take for Emiya Kiritsugu to deal with one Lord?"
"That man is such a perfectionist and meticulous in so many ways… A week should be more than enough."
"My disciples will also arrive in two weeks, so let's set the timeframe to two weeks at most."
"Good. Then, shall we begin? The shifting of the shares, that is."
November 25, 2011.
The emerging force AOD signed an alliance with two other massive entities.
The House of Homunculi, the Einzberns.
And the sanctuary of hermits, Finis Chaldea.