The world holds infinite possibilities, a fact that is beyond doubt.
But at what point does the world diverge, branching into different futures?
Take, for example, the Fourth Holy Grail War that Alaric once experienced—its future alone contains numerous possibilities. Although the destruction of the Holy Grail was inevitable, the subsequent Fifth Holy Grail War developed in several divergent directions.
The future is infinite, but the past is not always immutable.
This story begins slightly further back in history, seventy years ago—the era of what is known as the Third Holy Grail War in Fuyuki.
The founders of the Holy Grail War, the Einzberns, resorted to underhanded tactics to secure victory. They attempted an irregular summoning for a class outside the standard framework.
However, instead of summoning the theoretically most destructive Avenger-class servant, they chose a more strategic Ruler-class servant.
This slight alteration did not bring the Einzberns victory in the end, but it changed the course of the world.
The Third Holy Grail War ended in failure—no one emerged victorious.
Why? Because one Master enlisted the aid of a national army. Germany embroiled in a global war at the time, invaded Fuyuki with military force and ended the Holy Grail War decisively, seizing the pure and untainted Greater Holy Grail with overwhelming strength.
This omnipotent wish-granting device, which had not yet been corrupted by the wishes of evil, became a true artifact capable of leading humanity to its ultimate goal.
However, the war's rituals scattered as a result.
Germany's intervention not only resulted in the loss of the Greater Holy Grail, the core of the war, but it also led to the spread of the Holy Grail War rituals across the globe.
The information about the Holy Grail War was leaked, and in the years that followed, variants of the Holy Grail War began to occur in different regions worldwide. Summoning heroic spirits became commonplace.
However, these variants Holy Grail Wars had significant limitations. The number of heroic spirits summoned was reduced, and none of these wars could reach the Root.
Fast forward to a later time—
The Clock Tower, headquarters of the Mage's Association.
Click, click.
The sound of heavy black boots echoed as a tall, imposing man strode down the corridor, his presence drawing frightened stares from the students.
Unable to locate his destination, the man quickened his pace, which led to—
"Whoa!"
At a corner, a young boy carrying a stack of documents so large it obscured his vision ran straight into the burly man. The boy fell flat on his back, papers scattering everywhere.
"Oh, young man, I'm looking for the office of the Department Head for Summoning Studies, Rocco Belfeban," the man said, extending a hand to the fallen boy. "Do you know where it is?"
Cheerfully, the boy grabbed the man's hand, stood up, and pointed behind him. "I'll take you there!"
Along the way, the boy learned the man's name. "So, you're Mr. Kairi Shishigou?"
Kairi Shishigou casually explained the meaning behind his name to the boy.
The brief encounter ended quickly. After leading Shishigou to his destination, the boy left with a bright smile, leaving the man marveling at the social skills of today's apprentice magi.
When Shishigou pushed open the office door, an elderly man seated behind a desk looked up and said slowly, "So, you've finally arrived."
What was discussed in that office remains unknown.
Meanwhile, back in another office, Flat Escardos—a lively, energetic student—returned with a stack of documents, interrupting a conversation between his teacher, Lord El-Melloi II, and a white-haired young man.
Flat, as cheerful as ever, couldn't help but bring up his earlier encounter with Kairi Shishigou. With a helpless shrug from the white-haired youth, Lord El-Melloi II found himself explaining the unique nature of the Holy Grail War in which Shishigou was about to participate.
"So, who took the Greater Holy Grail? And why are they starting a Holy Grail War now?"
Curious as ever, Flat sat beside the white-haired youth, his eyes full of wonder as he watched his teacher brew tea.
Lord El-Melloi II—known as Waver Velvet, the Star of the Big Ben classroom—poured tea for the youth as he explained, "Not long ago, a magus family that oversees Romania, the Yggdmillennia, revealed that they possess the Greater Holy Grail."
"Hmm? What's Yggdmillennia?" Flat asked, his curiosity unrelenting and his energy boundless.
Managing a classroom of misfits, Lord El-Melloi II could only sigh as he continued, "One of the Masters who participated in the Third Holy Grail War, Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia, has kept the Greater Holy Grail hidden for decades."
He handed the tea to the youth and continued, "Not only that, but the Yggdmillennia have also announced their intention to secede from the Clock Tower and establish a new Mage's Association."
"Wow! That sounds just like a movie!" Flat exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he imagined the war.
"The Yggdmillennia operate differently from traditional magi. Instead of passing down magic through a single bloodline, they prioritize broad but shallow inheritance. They value quantity over quality to ensure as many magic circuits as possible are passed on."
Lord El-Melloi II took a sip of tea and added, "Compared to magi who focus on strengthening their Mystic Codes, their family's concept is fundamentally different. If they start moving, many magi are likely to join them. They call their organization the Millennia Tree."
"If Mr. Shishigou is going to the Holy Grail War, won't he have to face a lot of them?" Flat asked. "Or is the Clock Tower sending others too?"
"This isn't an ordinary Holy Grail War," Lord El-Melloi II replied gravely. "Under these special circumstances, the war will feature a total of fourteen Servants. The Millennia Tree faction will have seven Masters—the Black Faction—and their opponents—the Red Faction—will also have seven Masters."
"This is an all-out war," he added. "The Yggdmillennia call it the Great Holy Grail War."
After this brief exchange, the white-haired youth said his goodbyes and left Lord El-Melloi II's office.
Similarly, Kairi Shishigou left the office of the Department Head for Summoning Studies, now carrying a fragment of something in his hand.
The information he had obtained, along with his newly assigned mission, forced Shishigou to grow serious. This was no trivial matter.
A Holy Grail War involving seven-on-seven combat was far beyond the scale of any variant Grail War.
With complicated thoughts swirling in his mind, Shishigou made his way out of the Clock Tower. He had only one day left to prepare.
Click, click.
The crisp sound of footsteps echoed ahead, reverberating through the otherwise silent corridor.
The hallway was devoid of other magi students, leaving only Shishigou and a white-haired young man walking toward him.
As Shishigou and the young man passed each other, an inexplicable unease gripped Shishigou's heart.
He instinctively turned to look back, but the white-haired figure had already vanished around the corner.
The only thing Shishigou could remember was the youth's face—
This would later tie into events in Romania, far from the Clock Tower.
...
In a castle in Trifas, which the Yggdmillennia had claimed as their base of operations, a man named Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia placed down a chess piece and spoke in a deep voice:
"Ever since the Clock Tower prophesied the end of my bloodline, I was cast out of the magical society.
But I participated in the Holy Grail War—and I claimed the Greater Holy Grail."
"For this, I have been preparing in Trifas for sixty years. I'm not like those who have just joined the Holy Grail War."
"I see... So, summoning me—Caster—early was part of the preparations as well?"
The one playing chess with Darnic was none other than the Servant summoned ahead of time, Caster. His wide robe concealed his figure completely, and his doll-like mask blocked all attempts at scrutiny.
"That's correct, Avicebron, the great master of golems. This is because you are a Servant whose power manifests best when working as a collective."
With a confident gaze, Darnic looked at Avicebron before him, his mind seemingly envisioning the golem workshop that had been established after summoning the Servant.
One powerful golem after another was being produced, and once their numbers reached a certain threshold, they would become an unparalleled army!
"Indeed, my workshop requires a significant amount of time to produce golems."
Avicebron, aware of his shortcomings, nodded and did not refute Darnic's remarks.
"In a typical Holy Grail War, it would be difficult to fully utilize your power. However, the Yggdmillennia are different. We have enough resources and manpower for large-scale golem production."
"The supply of mana doesn't come from the Master, but from homunculi. Was that also part of the preparations?"
Avicebron could feel the abundant mana within him. It wasn't supplied by a single person but rather a powerful source provided by dozens—if not hundreds—of artificial lives. With this mana, Servants could unleash their full potential.
Hearing this, Darnic, still moving his chess pieces, replied, "The stronger the Servant, the greater the mana consumption. Naturally, we had to consider who would supply it."
"This allows you to freely perform magecraft, and us to release Noble Phantasms without hesitation."
The mana supplied by the homunculi was not exclusively for the Servants; the magus of the Yggdmillennia, including Darnic, also had access to it.
As the chess game neared its conclusion, the summoning ritual that had been meticulously prepared was finally complete.
In the vast ritual hall, four Masters who had yet to summon their Servants stood at four corners, facing each other.
The Masters, all part of the Yggdmillennia family, were Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia, Fiore Forvedge, Caules Forvedge, and Celenike Icecolle.
Once all preparations were complete, the four raised their right hands and chanted in unison:
"Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill!
The foundation of silver and iron, the Grand Duke of contract.
Let the color I pay tribute to be crimson."
At the same time, in a distant graveyard, Kairi Sisigou also began his Servant summoning ritual.
"Let the winds surge and be blocked by four walls.
Close the gates to the four directions.
From the crown, release. Roam at the crossroads of the kingdom.
Your body shall belong to me, and my fate shall rest upon your sword.
Respond to the summons of the Holy Grail. If you accept this reason, then heed my call!"
Blinding light erupted from the summoning circle, and the surging mana transformed into violent gusts of wind that howled through the graveyard.
Meanwhile, back at Yggdmillennia—
Gordes and the other three Masters reached the climax of their ritual, their overlapping voices triggering the miracle of Heroic Spirit summoning.
"I hereby swear.
I am the one who embodies all good in the world.
I am the one who lays bare all evil in the world.
You, clad in the three great words of power,
Come forth from the Wheel of Restraint, O Guardian of the Scales!"
Boom!
As mana exploded outward, four Servants knelt on one knee in unison, declaring:
"By your summons, we have arrived. We are the Black Servants.
Our fates are tied to Yggdmillennia, and our swords are your swords!"
Looking at the four successfully summoned Servants, everyone present was visibly pleased. The man seated at the high throne smiled as well.
Beside him, Darnic, the head of the Yggdmillennia family, bowed and said, "Duke, these are the Servants summoned by our Black Masters—they are your subordinates."
Though Darnic was the leader of the Yggdmillennia, he still bowed before the man on the throne, addressing him as Duke.
The man Darnic referred to as "Duke" stood up and gazed at the kneeling Servants below him. He spoke:
"To those who answered the summons in pursuit of the Holy Grail, first secure victory as the Black Faction!"
...
At the same time—
In the nameless graveyard, Kairi Sisigou's summoning ritual reached its conclusion.
Red light blazed in the dark graveyard as a knight wearing a horned helmet appeared before him.
Merely standing there, the knight emanated such pressure that Kairi Sisigou broke into a cold sweat.
As for the Servant before him, Kairi Sisigou knew nothing—he had no information at all. "You are...?"
Clack. Clack. Clack.
The knight's helmet retracted, revealing golden hair that shimmered like sand under the moonlight.
Her fair, flawless face bore a confident smile, and her shining eyes locked onto Kairi Sisigou as she struck the ground with her holy sword.
Her voice was loud and clear—a statement of pride and identity:
"I am Mordred, the rightful heir of the Knight King—Arthur Pendragon!
I ask you: are you my Master?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the armor on Mordred's body dissolved into particles of mana, revealing a casual outfit underneath.
Quickly accepting the reality before him, Kairi Sisigou replied, "I am Kairi Sisigou, your Master. Pleased to meet you."
Though surprised to discover that Mordred was female, what lingered in Kairi Sisigou's mind was—
Her appearance...
For some unknown reason, Kairi Sisigou was reminded of a white-haired young man he had met by chance not long ago. Though it was just a brief encounter, the man had left a deep impression on him.
Their resemblance to Mordred was... uncanny.
Unaware of Kairi Sisigou's thoughts, Mordred looked around with some disdain and remarked, "You summoned me in such a gloomy place? Are you a necromancer?"
"Exactly. I spent my youth among corpses," Kairi Sisigou replied casually, waving his hand. Then he asked curiously, "By the way, did King Arthur leave behind any other descendants?"
Buzz.
The radiant holy sword pressed against Kairi Sisigou's neck. Mordred's expression darkened as she said, "I am the only rightful heir of King Arthur. What nonsense are you spouting?"
"Nothing. My mistake."
Seeing Mordred's intense reaction, Kairi Sisigou quickly waved his hands, choosing not to pursue the topic further.
After the brief exchange, Kairi Sisigou led Mordred to a certain church in Romania to meet with a priest dispatched by the Holy Church.
...
Meanwhile, elsewhere in Romania—
In an unknown corner, an extraordinary summoning took place outside the standard seven Servants.
Alaric clapped his hands, looking at the summoning circle he had casually drawn. He couldn't help but marvel at how fast a year had passed.
Ever since encountering Kotomine Shirou in Hungary a year ago, Alaric had learned the true nature of this world and immediately adjusted his strategy and tactics.
The unexpected revelation had made Alaric so ecstatic that he couldn't stop laughing for a full minute—a personal record to this day.
This time, he didn't bother with any unnecessary tricks. As long as the Holy Grail War was fought to the end, the ultimate prize would naturally fall into his hands.
Alaric never intended to directly seize the Greater Holy Grail. For him, a Greater Holy Grail that hadn't fully charged was of little use; it was better to wait until the very end to reap the rewards.
And so, it was today that Alaric finally decided to summon a Servant and officially join the Holy Grail War.
Summoning as an auxiliary Master under the jurisdiction of the Clock Tower!
Using his understanding of the Holy Grail system and his analysis of the Greater Holy Grail, he forcibly connected to the Greater Holy Grail to perform the summoning.
He would personally bear the brunt of the immense magical energy consumption!
"With my blood as the witness to this vow."
Slitting his wrist, Alaric gazed at the magic circle before him. A faint smile formed on his lips as he began to chant in a clear and resonant voice:
"Born from the era when humans and gods were indistinguishable,
You who once rose to strike against the origin,
You who bore witness to the death and rebirth of the Creator God."
Crimson blood flowed, tracing the lines of the magic circle, which began to emit an incomparably radiant glow.
*"Your body shall be under my command,
And my fate shall rest upon your blade.
Answer the call of the Holy Grail.
If you would heed this reason, then respond to my summoning.
Here, I swear—
I am the one who embodies all good deeds in the world,
I am the one who enacts all the evils of the world."
The rapid depletion of blood and magical energy did nothing to shake Alaric's resolve:
"Whatever happens, come if you want to or not!"
Buzz!
The air trembled as if ripples from a primordial sea echoed faintly in his ears. Following this, brilliant azure light erupted from the summoning circle.
It was the primordial sea, the source of life, a symbol of the radiance from the dawn of creation.
The waves, stirred from an era before humans and gods were separate entities, had finally reached the distant future.
"I am... Mother—no, wait, that's just a title.
My name is Tiamat, and I've arrived as an Alterego."
A blue-haired girl with horns, the fated daughter of destiny, giggled as she leaped toward him:
"Scared, aren't you, human?"
PS: Tiamat-chan is here!
PS2: Here we go again. Fate/Apocrypha!