"Is the information confirmed, Kirei?"
In the northern part of Fuyuki City's new district, hidden within a park ringed by uneven woods, a heavy silence pressed down on the midnight sky. Above, the heavens were dark and dim, yet intertwined with the glittering city lights—a fabric of mottled color, like a heavenly quilt of angel feathers spread across the world. In the distance, the dome of a church rose into view, resembling a colossal bell suspended beneath the sky, its towering cross standing firm amidst wind and light.
This was the Fuyuki Church, a branch of the global institution, tasked with supervising mysteries in this land. At this very moment, within the cathedral's main hall—where priests and believers gathered in prayer—a tall, broad-shouldered old man stood solemnly at the steps before the great cross. His black priestly robe draped heavily around him, a night-cloth that concealed his aged yet unyielding frame.
Before this formidable figure, another priest stood. Younger, taller, and still bearing the vigor of youth, he bowed respectfully before speaking.
"Yes, Father…" Kotomine Kirei's voice carried a solemn weight."According to my most recent intelligence, my teacher—Tōsaka Tokiomi—has most likely pledged himself to the one known as the Lord of All."
"The Lord of All, is it…" Risei's sharp eyes narrowed."If the ancient prophecies hold any truth, then a unified Japanese mystery society will certainly spell trouble for the Church."
Mysteries in the Far East were born from Chinese roots, formally established during the Heian era, and flourished in the twilight years of the Peacock Lord. Though they fractured into chaos after his death, leaving room for outsiders—the Church, the Mage's Association—to expand their influence, the strength of the Far Eastern traditions had never been negligible. Carriers of the Fragments of the Divine, they had always been formidable. If unified under a single leader, bolstered by the Far East's insular geography, neither Church nor Association would be able to advance as freely as before.
Even magi such as Tōsaka Tokiomi, who had already thrown their lot in with the Western Mage's Association, would find themselves drawn back to serve this Lord of All. And he was not the only one.
In the end, the Far East belongs to the Far East.Mystery knows no borders—but people do.
"Father, should we then…" Kirei's eyes flashed with a steely glint as he sensed his father's hesitation.
But Risei lifted a hand, his tone calm."I know you now serve in the Executors' department, a militant arm of the Church tasked with eradicating heresy. But not every situation can be solved with killing, Kirei."
"No matter what, Tōsaka Tokiomi remains your teacher in the public eye. His allegiance, at least for the short term, will not jeopardize our cooperation."
"You mean…" Kirei's stern face flickered with thought.
Risei's reply echoed through the chamber, deep and deliberate."For every man who pledges loyalty, there will be another who resists. For every man who submits, another will betray. The sinfulness of mankind ensures such division—and it is precisely for that reason that they require salvation in the Lord."
"Even a Lord of All, no matter how capable, cannot unify the Far East in so short a time.""Our role, therefore, is to watch and wait.""And your task, Kirei, is to remain by your teacher's side. Follow his orders. In doing so, you will also find yourself at the Lord of All's side."
"When the chaos of change sweeps the Far East, that is when the Church shall seize its chance."
"…Yes, Father."
Kirei lowered his head in reverence. Risei's weathered face stirred faintly as he glanced upward through the tall church windows. The pale moon hung high in the night sky.
His breath hitched. A thought came unbidden—his son was still too innocent.
If the Lord of All alone were the cause, would Tōsaka Tokiomi have bent so quickly?
"…This feeling. How familiar it is…"
A foreign youth, stepping alone into the Far East, shaking an entire nation to its core… The memory struck him deeply, recalling his own youth upon this very soil.
The arrival of the most wicked man of all—Luvia's father, the monster known as Zouken's equal. If this current disturbance bore any relation to that man, then caution was not enough.
This matter must reach the Vatican without delay.
"Let Amakusa go in my stead. He will deliver word to the Holy See."
At nearly ninety years old, Kotomine Risei had resolved upon his next move.
Meanwhile, atop the highest floor of the Fuyuki Grand Hotel—
"Not bad! For a city near Kyoto, this place sure wears you out after a single day of shopping!"
Aoko Aozaki collapsed onto the soft sofa, her long legs wrapped in black stockings kicking lazily in the air. Her well-proportioned figure twisted as she sprawled forward, the hem of her skirt riding up against the cushions, highlighting the contrast between her narrow waist and the fullness below. Her long black hair swept side to side as she flopped, her pale neck exposed in the shifting lamplight.
Beside her, Touko's younger sister, Kuonji Alice, sat far more reservedly. But even in her composure, her tired hands resting on her lap betrayed the strain of the day. Compared to Aoko's stamina, Alice's body was frailer… or so one might have thought, once.
Rokkan sat nearby, casting a sidelong glance at the table—now completely buried beneath shopping bags. New dresses, accessories, packets of delicacies, cute plush dolls—the pile looked more like the spoils of a full campaign than a casual stroll.
After lugging such a haul through the streets and back, even Rokkan had to admit: in terms of endurance, Aoko could have rivaled a Servant's Strength: A. He was secretly glad he'd used the excuse of "other business" to avoid joining them.
Then Aoko suddenly flipped herself around, still half-lying on the sofa, and fixed her gaze on him. Her unbuttoned blouse revealed a glimpse of soft skin as her amber eyes narrowed mischievously beneath her tousled hair.
"You didn't do anything inappropriate to our luggage while we were gone, did you?"
"I did," Rokkan answered flatly.
"…!?"
So blunt?
"I placed a curse upon them," Rokkan continued, dead serious. "Tomorrow you'll wake up with every muscle sore."
"You're so cruel!" Aoko shot up from the sofa and scrambled beside Alice, clutching her arm."Quick, Alice! Scold him for me!"
But Alice only looked faintly disappointed, as though she had expected more.
…What are you disappointed about?
Aoko scratched her head in exasperation.
"Enough," Rokkan cut in with a wave of his hand."Other than piling up these souvenirs, did you two gather anything else of use? Don't tell me this trip was just shopping—you're magi, after all. If you found nothing, don't expect me to reimburse your expenses."
"Uh…" Aoko's eyes darted guiltily. She had used "information gathering" as a pretext to get funding for their outing. After all, they knew the Holy Grail War loomed over Fuyuki—legendary spirits were bound to clash here soon. But saying out loud that she'd essentially tricked him into giving her pocket money? Impossible.
"It stinks," Alice said suddenly, her tone serious.
"…What?"
"This city. It reeks… like insects."
Insects?
Rokkan's eyes sharpened."So, the old worm has noticed you."
"The old worm? Who?" Aoko blinked between them, baffled.
"One of the original founders of the Holy Grail War," Rokkan explained, his tone grim."A grotesque magus who has lived for five centuries. His name… is Matō Zouken."
He paused. A new thought struck him.
"…Alice."
Alice tilted her head. "Yes?"
"Would you like to take on a student—someone who could, at least in part, inherit your Fairy Tale magic?"