The Blackstone Mansion stood like a dark, towering wall on the edge of a high cliff, resembling a regal throne that overlooked Sagami Bay. Its silhouette appeared especially austere under the night sky, like a silent guardian watching the calm sea in the distance.
This was the end of the Izu Peninsula, in a small coastal town called Atami. The Blackstone Mansion sat here, side by side with the crashing waves and steep cliffs.
At this moment, the time had already passed midnight. The dim moonlight fell like a thin veil, coating the timeworn structure with a hazy silver glow. The mansion stood like an armored warrior, silently guarding the sleeping town by the sparkling sea.
The elderly butler, Kimura Hiroshi, carried a faintly glowing paper lantern as he walked steadily up the stone steps before the mansion. The lantern's light swayed in the darkness, casting shadows over the deep wrinkles on his face—a testament to the years and calm composure he carried.
Just then, a long Lexus limousine slowly wound its way up the mountain road, headlights cutting through the darkness like a gliding serpent of light, until it stopped before the mansion. The car door opened.
"Kimura Hiroshi, butler of Blackstone Mansion, welcomes you all!"
Recognizing the visitors, Kimura stood at the door, his voice loud and respectful, tinged with a trace of excitement. This wasn't without reason—
After all, since the mansion had been purchased three years ago, the mysterious owner had rarely set foot here. Instead, it was the owner's two cats who claimed the place as their own territory, occasionally leaving behind tufts of fur after their games.
In truth, apart from those two cats, the only regulars in the mansion were himself and a few cleaning maids. From time to time, a traditional architecture restoration company from Tokyo would send people to prune the ancient cherry trees, repair the garden with Kobe stone and Hokkaido timber, and replace the old tatami mats.
After years of this quiet routine, Kimura sometimes felt a pang of melancholy. He feared he would guard this empty mansion until the end of his days.
Some time ago, the owner had returned briefly, but before even finishing a cup of tea, she had hurried to board her private jet to Tokyo. The sound of the departing aircraft had been louder than any conversation they had exchanged.
But now—this time, there was no mistake! The owner had brought friends along, and perhaps they would stay for a while…
Kimura's heart lit up with a spark of hope, as if the long-dormant mansion would finally see a springtime.
Su Enxi stepped gracefully from the car, wearing a tailored suit under a light business jacket. She removed her sunglasses, revealing a slightly surprised expression.
"Someone's still awake at this hour," her voice was clear and calm. "Bring several pots of sake and tea—we'll be in the lounge."
"Understood. I'll prepare it immediately for you and your guests."
Kimura bowed slightly, speaking quickly yet politely.
He knew "we" referred to the lady and her companions. His aging eyes caught a glimpse of the tall woman stepping from the passenger seat—dressed in a stylish bodysuit as though fresh from a runway, her every gesture radiating cool elegance.
From the back seat came two pale-haired girls, clearly of foreign origin. Both bore cold expressions and noble demeanors—one, with pale gold hair, was petite and doll-like; the other, with silver-white hair, wore a heavy robe despite the heat, her modesty puzzling.
As the mansion's butler for decades, Kimura had seen many high-class guests brought by former owners—mostly celebrities or socialites. These women, however, were entirely different; perhaps they were members of some Western royal family.
As expected of his elusive current employer, her guests were indeed extraordinary.
Su Enxi led her party inside. Not two minutes later, Kimura returned, slightly breathless but still maintaining perfect composure, carrying trays of sake and tea. He set them down gently, bowed again, and quietly closed the door.
"May I take a look now? What exactly was worth the boss personally ordering a Servant to retrieve from the deep-sea trench?"
Su Enxi sipped a bit of Kubota Manju sake, her eyes on the elegant, delicate Anastasia beside Zero. Who would have thought this fragile-looking woman could complete such a dangerous deep-sea shipwreck recovery? Truly, one could never judge a Servant by appearances.
"It's the embryo from the Lenin wreck at the bottom of the trench," Sakata Mai pushed a black suitcase toward Su Enxi. "Zero's Servant helped retrieve the wreck, but when I boarded, I found the embryo had already mutated. I brought back only a core… not sure it can form a new embryo."
Su Enxi opened the case, cold vapor rushing out. Before she could look closely, a hand reached in and eagerly took out the stainless steel cylinder kept at -200°C in liquid nitrogen.
"Hello again, my dear pet."
Boss Lu Mingze wiped the frost from the cylinder, revealing a network of vein-like patterns on its surface.
Inside was the first-generation black serpent—something he knew all too well. Without its help, his escape from Black Swan Port back then might not have gone so smoothly.
The trio were unfazed by their boss's sudden appearance, but Anastasia stared in surprise at the man's genuine expression, only relaxing when her Master showed no alarm. She set down her spirit familiar, "Vei."
Lu Mingze glanced at the small familiar and murmured, "The 'Life Creation' of the Seven Kingdoms? Norton's alchemy has advanced again…"
"So it's still alive?" Sakata Mai turned her focus back to the cylinder. She had thought the core was beyond saving, but it seemed to be regaining vitality—fine veins were already spreading around it.
"A first-generation's vitality is naturally strong," Lu Mingze mused, "but that doesn't mean it's unharmed."
"Over ten years ago, it was sunk with the Lenin for a blood sacrifice… its fetal blood drained to revive an even greater king." His voice grew low. "After such prolonged sacrifice, it will likely suffer soul damage and memory loss. Had we come a few years later, it might have forcibly hatched just to avoid being entirely consumed—and the consequences would've been worse."
"But fortunately, that greater king was awakened by chance not long ago and left the trench." Lu Mingze patted the suitcase. "That's why we could retrieve my old friend."
"Fortunately…?" Su Enxi's hand trembled slightly on her glass. Had her boss just casually mentioned something terrifying?
———
The next evening, the Emiya residence hosted another family dinner.
Under the warm yellow lights, the aroma of freshly served dishes filled the tatami room—handmade udon in bonito broth with seaweed, glazed teriyaki chicken thighs, grilled silver-scaled fish, and a clear soup with abalone shimmering in the bowl.
Emiya, Eriyi, and Natsumi all wore cheerful expressions.
Emiya was in an especially good mood. Today, Minamoto had been chosen by the Holy Grail, and while preparing relics for a Servant summoning, he'd taken Emiya to see the family treasury—allowing him to memorize another batch of Noble Phantasm designs.
Natsumi, too, was pleased. After days of selection, she had confirmed most of the Masters for the Holy Grail War. Among them was one with exceptional talent, perfectly fitting Norton's "pseudo-Servant" experiment—bringing her closer to transforming into Attila at will.
Eriyi, of course, was simply happy because everyone else was.
Emiya's eyes fell on the stack of research papers by Natsumi. "Planning to work late again tonight?"
Natsumi nodded, popping a piece of fish into her mouth. "Gotta hurry the progress! The quality's fine, but… I can win with quantity!" She waved her chopsticks like a pep talk—water dripping on stone, rope cutting through wood! Brave Natsumi fears no challenge!
Emiya shook his head—she was more relentless than Tokyo workaholics.
"What's with the question?" Natsumi asked suddenly. "Got some late-night team activity?"
"Not exactly. Just meeting an old acquaintance. You don't have to come." Emiya took out his phone, glancing at a message sent earlier that evening:
"Midnight. Summoning night. Traitor butler. Come if you dare. Coordinates…"
He didn't need to check the chat to know Charlotte had sent it after arriving in Japan—casually showing off her new Master status.
That girl hadn't changed.
"Can I come too?" Eriyi asked, notebook in hand.
———
The night was ink-black, clouds like the scales of a giant beast covering the sky. In an empty beech forest, an alchemical summoning circle glimmered faintly with quicksilver and flowing blood.
Charlotte placed an ancient jade artifact from the Divine Land as a catalyst, raised her Command Seal-marked hand, and began to chant.
"Fill, fill, fill…"
An unseen vortex swirled, dead leaves stirring without wind. Her lips moved clearly, the incantation resonating with magical power. "…Come forth, Guardian of the Scales!"
Golden light burst forth, magic flooding out in a dazzling mist. Charlotte shielded her eyes and opened them again two seconds later—only to find no one standing on the circle.
Huh?? Where was her Servant?
She checked the fresh Command Seals—yes, she had summoned someone. But where were they? Summoning failure? Impossible!
Her eyes darted anxiously, fingers digging into her palm.
Not long after, Emiya arrived with Eriyi, who was munching on hot, sweet cakes from a night vendor.
"Charlotte, you really are here. I heard you got chosen as a Master for the Holy Grail War?" He glanced at the empty summoning circle. "What, inviting me to watch your Servant summoning?"
(End of Chapter)
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