Although the Holy Grail War is a magical ritual conducted by Magi, to ensure it doesn't affect the general public, the Church sends an overseer to monitor the process each time it takes place. They do their utmost to conceal the impact left by battles between Servants.
In Fuyuki City, this responsibility naturally falls to the Fuyuki Church.
Ten years ago, it was Kotomine Risei, and now, it should have been his son, Kotomine Kirei—according to the rules. However, in reality, the overseer for this Holy Grail War wasn't him but someone sent directly from Church headquarters, with Kirei acting as their assistant.
"Assassin's appearance has been confirmed, Miss Lilin." Said Kirei, who had matured over the past ten years but still maintained a stoic expression as his true nature hadn't been provoked, to the woman before him.
Lilin—the overseer directly dispatched by the Church to supervise this Holy Grail War.
That was Kirei's understanding of the person in front of him. However, he was slightly puzzled: "Is her somewhat revealing attire, by Church standards, really that of a nun? Though she herself said this is a uniform for exorcising demons."
"Would the Church permit such slightly indecent clothing?"
In truth, of course not. While there were exceptions, they wouldn't apply to Lilin. After all, Lilin—actually Merry—was not a member of the Church at all. She only wanted to see how many amusing things would unfold in this Holy Grail War, so she disguised herself as a Church member using illusion.
Merry took the report from Kirei's hand, smiled, and flipped through it twice. "This appearance… so, Assassin is this one. The genius swordmaster from the end of the Edo period, the captain of the First Unit of the Shinsengumi, Okita Souji. Compared to some of the others, this one isn't too concerning."
Miss Lilin was remarkably familiar with the Servants' identities. For the Servants confirmed in this Holy Grail War, she could instantly identify their true names—something Kirei had learned over the past few days. According to her, she used to work in history, so she was quite familiar with heroes.
It seemed a flimsy explanation, but under the influence of her illusion, Kirei didn't suspect much.
"So, five Servants have been confirmed: Saber – King Arthur, Archer – King Gilgamesh, Lancer – Queen Scathach, Assassin – Okita Souji, and Caster – the King of Magecraft."
Merry listed the Servants that had appeared, unable to hold back a sigh. Besides Okita, the other four were top-tier Servants. In other Holy Grail Wars, their presence would mean victory. Unexpectedly, they were all gathered here.
Especially Caster.
(Why did that King of Magecraft answer the call? A Grand Servant joining a Holy Grail War… That's cheating! What's the point of fighting anymore!)
As a candidate for Grand Caster, Merry was well aware of the King of Magecraft's power. Even if Solomon manifested as a Servant, his strength would be extraordinary. Fortunately, the other Servants competing this time were also monstrous; otherwise, this Holy Grail War might end in an instant.
Even so, defeating the King of Magecraft was theoretically extremely difficult. Each of the seventy-two Demon God Pillars would require multiple Servants to defeat.
(Making the King of Magecraft the common enemy of all Servants, turning it into a hero-versus-super-demon-king scenario with six Servants teaming up—feels like it wouldn't work.)
After all, getting those arrogant Servants to cooperate was impossible unless an earth-shattering event occurred. But the only bomb that might explode in this Holy Grail War was now practically a dud.
(In the end, we can only rely on the King's performance, huh? Fighting with all his might against the King of Magecraft to marry me… Hmm! Sounds pretty good! It's got that vibe of a hero slaying an evil dragon to save the princess!)
Of course, Merry didn't consider herself a princess. If anything, she was more like a fairy or wizard guiding the hero.
"Thank you for your hard work, Father Kotomine. There are still two Servants left. If they're found, please inform me immediately."
"Understood, I'll—"
*RING!*
Before Kirei could finish, the phone in his pocket rang. Unlike the Mage's Association, the Church didn't reject modern technology, a stark contrast to the Clock Tower, which didn't even install telephone lines.
He took out his phone and answered the call. After speaking with the person on the other end, Kirei hung up and said to Merry, "Miss Lilin, just now, personnel near the station confirmed the presence of a Servant and their Master, plus a companion. Here's the photo."
Kirei handed his phone to Merry. On the screen were Touko and Shiki, who had just exited the station.
(Hmph, so everyone's gathered except Morgan.) Merry thought. She then looked at the silver-haired man near the two in the photo and froze.
"Miss Lilin?"
"Father Kotomine… This is just a suggestion, but I think we should tell the residents to evacuate Fuyuki City immediately."
"Why is that? Does this Servant have something special?"
Merry sighed. "Have you ever read The Homeric Epics? If I'm not mistaken, this male Servant is one of the heroes mentioned in them, his name recorded in both the Iliad and the Odyssey—a hero who left a profound mark."
A hero mentioned in the Iliad and Odyssey?
Then, isn't that—
"Odysseus, the cunning general who devised the Trojan Horse strategy."
(What's with this nuclear-bomb-level Servant showing up! Back then, you all acted like you didn't care, but now it looks like everyone's bringing their full power! Can't you stop making me worry like Arcueid does?!)
Merry could already imagine the god-like battles that would erupt once the war began. She deeply regretted disguising herself as a Church member—how was she supposed to handle this?!
A gas explosion? No, this was Fat Man and Little Boy!
(Ah… my stomach's starting to hurt. When I get back, I'll have the King give me a massage…)
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Meanwhile, at London Airport.
Pulling a suitcase toward the plane, Morgan glanced at she figure beside her. "I should be the last to arrive. Summoning you truly drained my energy—what's your take on manifesting in a class completely unsuited to you?"
"Under normal circumstances, my combat strength would be slightly reduced. Suppressing the madness requires considerable effort."
"No choice, only the Berserker class was left for you—are you excited? Reuniting with that child after ten years."
"If I weren't in this form, I'd be more excited."
The knight, with a faint glow emanating from their body, replied with a wry smile.
Morgan gave a faint smile. "I'm still curious how that child will react seeing you in this form. Alright, it's time. Let's go."
"[Berserker (Arthur)]"