"Let walls block the winds from all directions, and close the gates to the four quarters."
"From the crown emerge, cycling endlessly upon the threefold path to the kingdom!"
Just as Sakatsuki had anticipated, it wasn't only him—the other Masters had all chosen to initiate their summonings simultaneously.
Perhaps this was the inevitable collision of fates at work.
"—Here I swear. I shall become the one who accomplishes all good in this world. I shall become the one who administers all evil in this world."
Within the Throne Room of the Fortress of Millennia, the three members of the Yggdmillennia suddenly ceased their chanting, leaving only a bespectacled Master to seize this precise moment and declare the next two verses.
"Yet you shall veil your eyes in chaos. You, who are trapped within the cage of madness. I am the one who holds the chains of control."
Additional incantations for Mad Enhancement. This confirmed that the Servant he summoned would be driven to some degree of insanity.
Under the eager gazes of Darnic and Vlad III, the Masters took deep breaths, enduring the discomfort of their internal organs being toyed with, using their desires as the catalyst to converse with the supreme beings etched into myth and legend.
Only one final verse of the summoning chant remained.
In the Souma household of the Far East; within the cemetery of Stavropoleos Church; and in the Throne Room of the Fortress of Millennia—all the Masters suppressed their surging emotions and called forth 'their' arrival.
"—Let silver and steel be the essence. Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation. Let my great master be the ancestor. Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall. Let the four cardinal gates close. Let the three-forked road from the crown rotate unto the kingdom."
The dim Throne Room instantly brightened as if under the noonday sun. A tempest transcending time and space swept through, forcing the homunculi to cower in fear, while Lancer, Darnic, and a man wearing a golden mask stood unfazed, as if bathed in a cool breeze.
And thus, "they" manifested upon the earth.
From the intricately woven magic circles erupted a dazzling radiance. In that instant, miracles took form—heroes who transcended humanity, their bodies shaped by mankind's fantasies.
The storm subsided, and the blinding light gradually dimmed. Then, four figures emerged from the magic circles.
One was a slender girl clad in a white dress, wielding an enormous mace. Her hollow gaze swept across the surroundings.
Another was an androgynous youth adorned in resplendent attire. Among the four, only he smiled brightly as he gazed upon the Master who had summoned him.
The third was a young man bearing a bow and arrows, clad in a verdant cloak, kneeling on one knee in reverence.
Finally, the last was a youth encased in radiant armor, a greatsword strapped to his back. His silver-gray hair swayed in the gentle breeze.
"Ooh..."
Someone gasped in awe. Even Darnic found himself captivated by this majestic sight. Then, the Servants spoke in unison, declaring the words that would herald the beginning of the Holy Grail War—a brutal and desperate battle between seven Servants and seven Servants.
"We, the 'Black' Servants, have answered your summons and arrived."
"Our fates are bound to Yggdmillennia, and our swords shall be your swords!"
***
In the carefully selected graveyard, Kairi Sisigou successfully summoned his Servant.
"——So, you're my Master?"
The short knight clad entirely in steel inquired. Despite the helmet, his clear voice came through distinctly. Kairi nodded and extended his hand forward.
"My name is Kairi Sisigou. I'll be your Master. Pleasure working with you."
"...Is this a graveyard? You really summoned me in a detestable place."
The outstretched hand was ignored. Scratching his head, Kairi defended himself:
"Well, even if you say that... Anyway, this place is like home turf to me."
"Were you born in a graveyard?"
"I spent my childhood surrounded by corpses."
Having heard this much, the knight nodded in understanding.
"I see. So you're a necromancer?"
"Bingo. Now, you're Saber, right?"
Looking at the sword in the knight's hand, Kairi asked.
"Isn't that obvious? If you mistook me for Caster or Assassin, there must be something seriously wrong with your eyes or brain."
...Though there probably are Assassins like that in the world.
"Don't tell me I got stuck with an idiot Master?"
"Now, now, you've actually drawn the best Master possible, Saber. I, Kairi Sisigou, pride myself on being a first-rate Master worthy of you."
"Hmph... We'll see if you can back up those words."
"Getting back on track, Saber. First, can you tell me your true name?... By the way, why can't I see part of your status even though I'm your Master?"
Normally, when a Master and Servant face each other, the Master can obtain certain information. Precious data like stamina, endurance parameters, and Noble Phantasms are invaluable for formulating strategies.
Thus, the first thing Masters confirm is the Servant they've summoned. Only by understanding their capabilities can they devise combat tactics.
However, while basic parameters of this knight were visible, the unique skills that embody a Heroic Spirit's individuality and Noble Phantasm details were completely obscured and unreadable.
"It's probably this helmet. I'll remove it now."
As soon as Saber spoke, the face-covering helmet disassembled and merged into the armor. Whether due to this overly modern technology or the appearance of "her" now revealed, Kairi's jaw dropped in astonishment.
"A... girl...?"
No, perhaps a young boy. In any case, it was a face of remarkable youth. Perhaps because it was so unexpected, he'd accidentally let the words slip out, which immediately worsened her mood—though Kairi failed to notice.
"Don't make me hear that again."
"What?"
The icy words filled with murderous intent snapped Kairi back to attention.
"Call me a woman one more time, and I can't guarantee I'll control myself."
Saber's gleaming eyes radiated killing intent. He was clearly serious, Kairi instinctively muttered to himself.
"Sorry, my bad. I won't bring it up again." Raising both hands, Kairi offered a sincere apology.
Though Saber's face remained twisted in anger, her mood seemed to improve slightly. Taking a deep breath, she spoke with faint disappointment:
"You're forgiven. But remember—never mention this topic again."
"Got it. So about your true name—"
When Kairi uttered these words, he hadn't yet realized just what kind of troublesome Servant he'd summoned. But within moments, the young knight's furious cry of "Damn it all!" followed by her sword shattering the legendary Round Table fragment—then stomping on this irreplaceable holy relic—gave Kairi an unconventional revelation about her identity.
For the Knights of the Round Table, that should have been a place of camaraderie. Though they ultimately became divided, that wasn't their original intention.
To harbor such hatred toward this Round Table could only mean—
Her true name immediately clicked for Kairi. If any knight despised the Round Table this intensely, it could only be the one who openly betrayed the King of Knights.
"Saber. Your true name... could it be 'Mordred'?"
Kairi's question made Mordred frown slightly. Having her identity exposed through her own actions left her somewhat flustered. Yet she declared resolutely:
"Correct. I am Mordred, the one true heir to King Arthur Pendragon."
"...Didn't you betray him?"
At Kairi's pointed remark, Saber's face flushed crimson as she proclaimed:
"Damn right I did! That king never acknowledged my worth. My swordsmanship and political acumen matched hers—no, surpassed her! Yet that bastard refused my succession because of my origins!"
Her icy tone wasn't suppressing emotion—quite the opposite. Rage and hatred that made her entire body tremble coursed through her being.
Her origins—Mordred was allegedly the illegitimate child of King Arthur and her own sister Morgan le Fay. This proved utterly damning.
"So I betrayed him. Sent him to his grave. Made that king understand his reign meant nothing."
Indeed. Legend states Mordred was the one who drove King Arthur to his demise. Even while impaled by the holy spear, Mordred dealt the fatal blow.
The dying Arthur returned Excalibur to the lake before departing for Avalon. Mordred drew her last breath on Camlann's hills, leaving behind only the infamous title of "Knight of Treachery."
"Hah. So Saber—your wish is to become king?"
For Mordred, denied her rightful succession, kingship would naturally be her grail wish. Yet Mordred responded to Kairi's words with unexpected melancholy:
"No, you're mistaken. I don't wish to use the Holy Grail's power to become king. Even if I ascended the throne, my father would never acknowledge me. My wish, Master, is simply to challenge the Sword of Selection—nothing more."
"The Sword of Selection? You mean the legendary sword King Arthur pulled from the stone?"
Saber nodded. Indeed, it was said that in his youth, King Arthur had drawn that sword—a feat none of the kingdom's mightiest warriors could accomplish—thereby proving his right to kingship.
If Mordred were to draw that sword, her qualification to rule would undoubtedly be recognized. However, there was a fatal flaw in her wish.
"—Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
"What if the Holy Grail grants your wish... but you fail to pull the sword?"
Exactly. Challenging the Sword of Selection carried the possibility of failure. After all, it was a blade no man in the kingdom had managed to draw. Even for Mordred, who shared King Arthur's blood, whether she could succeed remained uncertain.
"That's a foolish question, Master. There's no way I could fail!"
Yet Saber puffed out her chest and declared this with absolute conviction. The authority in her voice indeed carried the bearing of a true monarch. Perhaps she might draw the sword with ease.
"After all, I am the strongest knight—one who has surpassed even King Arthur!"
Unbeknownst to the supremely confident Mordred, thousands of miles away, a modern-day Knight of the Round Table gazed intently at a pure white figure before him.
"I ask of you—are you my Master?"
The white-armored knight announced her arrival in a voice brimming with dignity.
***
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