Timeline of the Fourth Holy Grail War
Confronted with this explosive truth before their eyes,
Nearly every Master was simultaneously shattered.
At this moment—
Even when facing the ruins of Fuyuki City, Emiya Kiritsugu's indomitable fighting spirit had remained unbroken...
But now, his heart was utterly devastated...
It's a fake...
Yes...
I had accounted for every possibility...
But I never considered one thing——
If the Holy Grail itself is a fake, then no matter who wins, no matter what wish is made...
It's all in vain. The tainted Holy Grail will lead to the same outcome...
"Has it been… corrupted?"
"During the Third Holy Grail War…"
"…"
Emiya Kiritsugu was suddenly overwhelmed by a deep sorrow—a feeling that he had been born in the wrong era...
If only he could have been born during the time of the Third Holy Grail War...
Everything might still have been reversed...
...
Meanwhile...
At the Tōsaka residence.
As the head of the family, Tōsaka Tokiomi had inherited the will of his ancestors—to reach the "Root" through the Holy Grail...
This was the glorious battle passed down through the Tōsaka family for centuries...
Thus, from the very beginning, he had meticulously planned every aspect of this Holy Grail War...
Even as one of the three great families...
Tōsaka Tokiomi was one who held the "secrets" of the Holy Grail War...
Therefore, even when facing the arrogant King of Heroes...
Tōsaka Tokiomi had to keep his Command Spells secure to ensure his final plan could be executed perfectly...
On this foundation, Tōsaka Tokiomi essentially regarded magicians outside the three great families as ants...
And that Emiya Kiritsugu was merely a pawn of the Einzberns.
What wish could he possibly make...
Also, to what extent had the Holy Grail been corrupted...
It must be completely destroyed...
After all...
Even if it is evil, if it can reach the Root, some sacrifices can be made...
That would still be acceptable...
After a moment of hesitation, and seeing the uncertainty in his wife's eyes...
Tōsaka Tokiomi decisively chose to call the Einzbern family...
Although this Holy Grail War was a "nullified game,"
As the mastermind behind the Third War...
The Einzbern family might hold some secrets...
Could it be...
Have I been deceived?
No matter what, even if it is a corrupted Holy Grail, I must obtain it!
But just as Tōsaka Tokiomi dialed the number with a complicated expression...
The golden sparkle swaying in the wineglass also revealed a playful smile before the light screen...
"How amusing, you ants… You've piqued my interest slightly… I shall take this a bit more seriously…"
...
At that moment, before everyone's eyes, the images on the light screen shifted once again:
[As supplementary exposition of the Holy Grail War—]
The screen flickered, and a young man appeared:
["My name is Makiri Zōken. I have come specifically to meet the Winter Saint."]
[Guided by a homunculus maid, Makiri Zōken successfully entered the castle and, as he wished, met the Winter Saint, Justeaze.]
[After a conversation, Makiri Zōken gazed at Justeaze and made his request: "Magic—the greatest power in the world. I desire to use it to eradicate all evil from this world, including the evil within human hearts."]
[Justeaze did not respond immediately. After exchanging a few words with Makiri Zōken, she turned and walked toward Ahad.]
["My lady, I believe we can grant his request. He has nearly three hundred years of extensive experience in magecraft and will undoubtedly contribute to our reproduction of the Third Magic. Since he has proposed a plan to use you as the substrate to create a magical furnace core, we might as well go along with it and seize the opportunity," Ahad suggested.]
[In the image, Justeaze nodded slightly in agreement.]
The screen flickered again, and the scene changed:
[The plan was set. To evade the relentless pursuit of the Holy Church, the Winter Saint Justeaze and Makiri Zōken resolutely embarked on a journey far from Europe, heading to the Far East, where magical families were few, in search of the legendary leyline.]
[On the boundless ocean, a ship sailed slowly toward the mysterious shore and finally anchored steadily.]
[As soon as Makiri Zōken and Justeaze set foot on the ancient land of Japan, they eagerly traversed the unknown terrain like cheetahs, searching for their goal.]
[Until they met the guardian of Fuyuki City's leyline—the mysterious and majestic Tōhsaka Nagato.]
["I am willing to provide you with land as the foundation for your plan!" Tōhsaka Nagato looked at Makiri Zōken and Justeaze before him, his eyes filled with unwavering resolve.]
[The scene changed. In a dense forest, Tōsaka Nagato approached them like a forest spirit, followed closely by Makiri Zōken and the Winter Saint in her magnificent celestial robes!]
[Together, they entered an ancient temple. On the plaque above the temple, three characters were engraved in ancient script—Ryūdō Temple. However, they did not stop there but skillfully bypassed the temple and ventured deeper into the forest to explore its mysteries.]
[In the depths of the forest, they discovered a hidden cave entrance. At the mouth of the cave stood a legendary figure—the Second Magician, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg.]
["Lord Zelretch / Dear teacher." The three of them bowed respectfully, showing deep reverence for their leader.]
[Zelretch nodded slightly, signaling them to proceed. Together, they stepped into the mysterious cave and, after a winding journey, arrived at a vast hollow. Within this hollow, they saw that the surface of the rock, spanning over 50 meters in radius, was covered in layers of ancient engravings, seemingly imbued with endless wisdom and power.]
[Zelretch, Makiri Zōken, Tōhsaka Nagato, and the Winter Saint in her celestial robes stood together at the core of the engravings, ready to begin their grand plan.]
[Zelretch said softly, "Let us hold fast to this belief together. To reach the distant Root, the three families—Tōhsaka, Einzbern, and Makiri—will join forces to forge our own path."]
["And our contributions are…"]
[Tōhsaka Nagato, clad in bright red, stepped forward, his voice firm and powerful: "The Tōhsaka family will provide that sacred and mysterious land as the vessel for the Holy Grail."]
["The Makiri family will contribute our unique Command Spells to bind those powerful Servants," Makiri Zōken followed, his voice resolute.]
[The Winter Saint, in her magnificent celestial robes, stepped forward gracefully, her voice as sweet as nature itself: "Einzbern will offer the magic circuits passed down through our family for generations to realize the legendary Third Magic."]
["And I, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, will bear witness to this great moment and honor your glory." As he finished speaking, a grand ceremony commenced.]
[The Winter Saint glided lightly to the rock brimming with mystical energy and lay down, as if merging with the land itself. Suddenly, the mechanism above was triggered, and slab-like boulders engraved with magic circuits slowly descended, enveloping her completely.]
[Blood seeped from the cracks in the rocks, flowing like the source of life, permeating the entire circuit, adding a tragic and solemn hue to this sacred ritual.]
[***]
At this moment, after witnessing the origin of the so-called "Holy Grail War"...
Tōsaka Tokiomi, who was in the Fourth Holy Grail War, could no longer contain himself...
Through the light screen, he questioned the scene before him:
[Tōsaka Tokiomi: Why… why… this is impossible… If that's the case… then the so-called meaning of the Holy Grail War… is all… a lie!]
More sighs began to appear in the barrage:
[Aozaki Aoko: Reproducing the Einzbern family's Third Magic… (Thoughtful)]
[Jubstacheit von Einzbern (Ahad): …Why is such a thing appearing in the video? Who leaked the secrets of the Einzbern family?]
[Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg (Jewel): Interesting. It seems some unobservable worldlines are rapidly intertwining various fascinating elements…]
[Tōhsaka Nagato: Yes, Master…]
[Tōhsaka Tokiomi: ?!]
[Tōhsaka Nagato: @Tōsaka Tokiomi, as the heir of the Tōsaka family… pull yourself together…]
[Kotomine Kirei: Hmm… So that's how it is… It feels like being enveloped in a conspiracy… Manipulating all the magicians and treating the Servants as pawns… How tragic… And yet… how… delightful…]