A beach near the port of Fuyuki City appeared deserted, overgrown with weeds and littered with debris washed up from the sea. It looked like a wilderness that no one would want to approach. However, this was merely a facade—at least for the time being.
Behind a layer of illusionary barriers, another world existed. Inside a massive stadium styled after the Roman Colosseum, the stands were filled to capacity. People waved flags, cheered, and shouted continuously, their voices rising and falling like the waves outside. It was a chaotic, noisy, and crowded spectacle. Of course, this audience was fake, created by Nero to establish a grand atmosphere. If one looked closely, the movements and expressions of these spectators were somewhat mechanical and stiff. But for those who didn't care about authenticity, it was a massive stage that could make any participant excited.
At the very least, Alice Nakiri and the other girls enjoyed the feeling of being watched by thousands. This was also because, among the artificial audience, there were real people. Girls from Dimension City had arrived to join the fun after receiving a notice from Takumi. They brought professional equipment to record the event and broadcast it back to Dimension City. The broadcast was made possible by keeping a dimensional door slightly ajar, pulling fiber optic cables through to allow for real-time information transmission. Seeing this, the women were determined not to be embarrassed in front of their own people, standing tall with high spirits.
Among the remaining three groups, Emiya Kiritsugu's team remained silent and unmoved. Kenneth stood proudly, with Diarmuid loyally guarding him. He had extra motivation: his fiancée, Sola-Ui, had been invited and was currently in the audience. In addition to Sola-Ui, the three members of the Tohsaka family and Risei Kotomine were present, as well as Emiya Kiritsugu's assistant, Hisau Maiya. Everyone related to this Holy Grail War was in attendance.
Iskandar had moved past his initial depression and accepted the artificial cheers with a generous smile. When the girls from Dimension City pointed their cameras at him, he even struck a few poses to show off his muscles. Only Waver Vill-V felt deeply embarrassed. Lacking experience and being faint-hearted, he couldn't handle such a grand spectacle. He wanted to escape, but Iskandar held him tightly, forcing him to accept the attention.
At that moment, Nero stood on a high platform at the edge of the arena, presiding over the opening ceremony of the Nero Festival with great emotion. "Welcome everyone to the Nero Festival: Holy Grail War Version! Everyone already knows why we are holding this festival, so I won't repeat it. What I want to say is... tension, excitement, passion, harmony, and happiness are the purposes of the Nero Festival! Let us temporarily forget our worries, set aside our identities, and simply have fun!"
"I hereby announce! The Nero Festival officially begins!"
Nero's voice was sweet yet energetic. Her body language, combined with her charismatic personality and the grand environment, made her speech incredibly infectious. It stirred the emotions of almost everyone present. Without strong willpower, it was easy to get swept up in the rhythm of her words. It could only be said that Nero was born for the stage; her understanding of the atmosphere was so refined it could be compared to the persuasive skills of a master orator.
Immediately, Nero began to introduce the seven groups of contestants. "First of all, there is Yu, and Yu's Master, Alice Nakiri!" The girls from Dimension City cooperated by focusing the camera on Alice. At the same time, a close-up of Alice Nakiri appeared on the large projection screen behind Nero. Alice smiled and waved at the lens.
"Contestant Alice is a representative of the organizer. She is a world-class professional chef. But do not underestimate her just because she is a cook; she is surprisingly strong and proficient in both magic and martial arts. Go for it, Alice-chan! Show them what a chef can do!"
In the audience, Inui Hinako, who happened to be on vacation, held up a support board to cheer. Alice saw it and gave a thumbs-up in response. Hearing this introduction, the three outsiders—Kenneth, Waver, and Kiritsugu—were surprised. A chef? It seemed the organizers weren't being serious. They suddenly felt more confident. They assumed Nero was just bragging and that a chef couldn't possibly be a threat. In their view, even if Alice had some ability, it would be limited; after all, human energy is finite, and mastering two vastly different fields is rare.
Nero continued the introductions. "Next is the Archer group. This Master is also a member of the organizer—the great magician with unique hobbies, Megumin! And her Servant, the legendary hero, Arash!" The camera focused on Megumin and Arash together. Though no one from her specific world was in the stands, back in Dimension City, Darkness watched the broadcast and cheered for her. This didn't stop Megumin from posing dramatically like a classic chuunibyou in front of the camera. Her posture was actually quite intimidating, causing the three opposing Masters to look slightly solemn as they guessed her power level.
However, they relaxed again as the next introduction began. "Next is the Saber team: Asuna Yuuki and her Servant, Okita Souji! Asuna is Alice Nakiri's apprentice, a disciple of both cooking and martial arts. Her Servant is a Heroic Spirit with local bonuses, so they should not be underestimated!"
Inui Hinako swapped her support board and continued cheering wildly for Asuna. Asuna waved back, looking slightly embarrassed. Kenneth and the others felt even more dismissive. Another cook? And an apprentice at that? But before they could think Takumi had given up on the competition, Nero continued.
"Next up is the favorite of the organizer, the Berserker group: Flora! And her Servant, Vlad III! Contestant Flora is a True Ancestor-level vampire. She has dedicated many years to studying magic and potions, and her strength rivaling most Heroic Spirits. Combined with a highly compatible vampire Grand Duke as her Servant, she is the strongest contender for the championship!"
Under the order of the head maid, the four maids who had come to watch began to cheer loudly for her. When the trio heard "True Ancestor," their moods sank like a lead weight. A True Ancestor was a monster that usually required a hundred elite magi just to suppress. Putting such a creature on the same stage felt like massive overkill. Kenneth, Waver, and even Kiritsugu looked at Flora—who looked like a harmless young girl—with expressions of pure horror.
"Wait, isn't this unfair? She's so strong, how can we compare?" Waver raised his hand in protest. Iskandar didn't have time to stop him and just shook his head. He didn't see a problem; fairness was a rare thing in the world anyway.
Nero replied, "Please rest assured. While strength is an advantage, the rules are designed so that raw power cannot completely dictate the outcome of every event." Waver didn't know how to respond to that.
"Hmph, how embarrassing," Kenneth snorted, giving Waver a look of contempt. Waver was annoyed but remained silent.
Nero continued with the remaining groups. "The next three contestants are those selected by the Greater Holy Grail. Let us welcome the Lancer group: a genius professor from the Clock Tower, a monarch among the twelve, Lord Kenneth! And his Servant, the chief warrior of the Fianna Knights, the 'Unparalleled' Diarmuid Ua Duibhne!"
Kenneth held his head high, hoping to see admiration in Sola-Ui's eyes. Unfortunately, she only glanced at him briefly before her gaze drifted toward Takumi, drawn by his undeniable charm. Kenneth, however, took that single glance as a massive victory, his devotion reaching the level of a loyal follower.
"Next is Assassin. His Master is Emiya Kiritsugu, the 'Magus Killer.' He is an expert in dealing with magi and a master of modern weaponry. His Servant is not a historical figure but a Counter Guardian. One has to wonder if Emiya's luck is incredibly good or incredibly bad. To protect Assassin's strategic advantage, we will not disclose his identity for now, though he has perfect compatibility with his Master." Kiritsugu breathed a sigh of relief that his information remained hidden.
"Finally, we have the Rider team. The Master, Waver Vill-V, is Kenneth's student and is here to prove himself. His Servant is the King of the Macedonian Empire, Alexander the Great, the King of Conquerors, Iskandar!" Iskandar raised his fists and laughed heartily.
"Now that the participants are introduced, we need a referee. Since I am a participant, I cannot fulfill this role. Therefore, we have invited a King known for her absolute fairness. Let us welcome Artoria Pendragon, the Holy King of Camelot, the King of Knights, who serves as Ruler this time!"
Artoria, standing next to Takumi in silver armor with her holy spear, nodded calmly. Takumi and the girls from Dimension City cheered. The trio of outsiders was stunned to realize the legendary King Arthur was a woman, but they had no time to dwell on it as Nero got to the point.
"The players and referee are in place! This Nero Festival is an alternative Holy Grail War with three events. The first is the Master Competition—only the seven Masters will participate without Servant assistance. The second is the Servant Competition—only the seven Servants will participate without Master assistance. Points will be awarded based on ranking: 20 for first, 15 for second, 10 for third, down to 1 point for last."
"The accumulated points will be used in the final event: the Team Battle. Points will be exchanged for flags. The goal is to snatch flags from other teams while defending your own. You may attack each other, but lethal force is strictly forbidden. The referee will intervene to disqualify anyone who breaks this rule. Do you understand?"
Everyone nodded. Even Waver, who wanted to complain about fighting, kept quiet once he heard that lethal force was banned, realizing that restrictions on the strong might actually help him.
"Then, I announce that the first game—the Master Tournament—begins now!"
The ground began to shake as facilities rose from the arena floor. Fifty complex obstacles were arranged in a circle, forming a closed-loop track. At the same time, the base of the track began to fill with water, creating a challenging water-based obstacle course.