The night in January was bitterly cold, and the wind howled through the streets, making people reluctant to step out of their warm rooms.
In a certain abandoned factory on the outskirts of Fuyuki City, this place, usually sparsely populated and seemingly forgotten in a corner, welcomed two uninvited guests today.
"Hmm, I see, I see—"
In the dim, empty space, Ryūnosuke Uryū flipped through an ancient book riddled with wormholes, muttering excitedly, "Fresh blood, a magic circle... and a sacrifice?"
"All I need are these things to summon a demon! That is so cool!"
He closed the book with a snap, his body trembling with excitement. Then, as if to share his joy, he turned to look at the young girl tied to an old chair nearby, pretending to ponder as he asked,
"Hey~ do you think there really are demons in this world?"
Of course, Ryūnosuke didn't expect the gagged girl to answer his question. He merely wanted the woman to experience fear more intimately.
"But unfortunately, even if there really is a demon, you won't be able to witness its appearance..." Saying this, Ryūnosuke deliberately drew out his tone, a bright, cheerful smile appearing on his face. "After all, you are the important sacrifice for summoning Mr. Demon!"
"Wuwuwu..." Hearing the chilling words, the girl's eyes widened with terror. She wanted to beg the devil-like man to spare her, but because her mouth was stuffed with a rag, she could only let out crying sobs.
"Alright, it's time to prepare the ritual now. I'm sure Mr. Demon will love a beautiful sacrifice like you."
After admiring the girl's fear-contorted face for a while, Ryūnosuke contentedly took out a sharp knife. He traced it over her body, muttering to himself, "So, where should I start?"
"The carotid artery... the wrist... or this beautiful face... Hmm~ it's so hard to choose. The blood flowing from every spot must be sweet and delicious, right?"
The killer's gaze wandered over the girl's pale skin. Finally, he chose her slender neck, commenting like an artist, "Indeed, the carotid artery in the neck is the best. The fresh blood from here will surely be as spectacular and magnificent as a fountain!"
"—"
Feeling the cold blade press against her skin, the innocent girl closed her eyes in despair. Tears streamed uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes. She now regretted running away from home.
If she had stayed in her warm, comfortable room, perhaps she wouldn't have been entangled by this murderous fiend.
Pfft!
The sound of a sharp object piercing flesh rang out the next moment, heavy and clear in the silent factory.
However, the expected pain did not arrive. Instead, she felt a sticky sensation on her face, stained with an unknown liquid. The girl forced her eyes open, then stared blankly at the scene before her, utterly terrified.
A crimson Demonic Spear had pierced Ryūnosuke's chest from behind. Warm blood splattered everywhere. The demon's lips slightly parted, as if trying to say something.
"What do you take human life for, scum!" The silver-white figure standing behind the killer gave him no chance, his tone calm and cold. "Pay for the sins you have committed with your life."
"Hagalaz Isaz (Absolute Zero)!"
As the words fell, terrifying cold air rapidly spread through Ryūnosuke's body. Accompanied by dense, sharp icicles bursting out of his body, his blood and body were instantly frozen.
Crack!
Following a clear shattering sound, the existence known as Ryūnosuke Uryū turned into scattered snowflakes and vanished from this world.
"Hmph... dying so easily, he got off too lightly." Yuu sighed softly, putting away the crimson Demonic Spear in his hand. He pursed his lips, muttering with some dissatisfaction.
Since obtaining the Command Spells, Yuu had dispatched many familiars to monitor Fuyuki City. His goal was to locate Ryūnosuke Uryū immediately and prevent innocent bystanders from being murdered.
Even if doing so would lead the upcoming Holy Grail War in an unknown direction, he would not hesitate.
"Now, how should I handle the aftermath?"
As any experienced killer knows, murder itself is not that difficult. It's cleaning up the scene and dealing with... placing the witness that is the most troublesome part.
Looking at the young girl who was clearly in a state of shock not far away, Yuu rubbed his smooth chin, thinking with a headache.
"Forget it. I'll just erase her recent memory and send her home." Thinking this, Yuu walked over to the distraught girl. As he knocked her unconscious, he spoke in a gentle voice.
"I apologize, but please sleep for a while. Let everything that happened tonight be nothing more than a nightmare..."
Meanwhile, in the Einzbern Castle in Germany.
"The catalyst we sent people to look for in Cornwall has finally arrived this morning."
In front of the chapel's altar, Jubstacheit von Einzbern stroked his waterfall-like white beard, looking at Kiritsugu Emiya with fervent eyes.
This intense, obsessive gaze made Kiritsugu, who had only recently returned, uncomfortable. He slightly averted his eyes, avoiding direct contact with the old man.
After a moment, Jubstacheit withdrew his gaze and pointed toward the charcoal-colored long chest on the altar.
"With this as a medium, we can likely summon the strongest Servant in the Saber class. Kiritsugu, consider this the Einzbern family's greatest aid to you."
"I am truly undeserving, Elder."
Feigning an expressionless face, Kiritsugu bowed deeply.
Unable to tolerate the failures of the previous Holy Grail Wars, the Einzbern family decided to break the tradition established by their founder and commission an outside magus to help them achieve victory.
Kiritsugu Emiya, known as the "Magus Killer," was chosen by the old Elder to participate in the upcoming Fourth Holy Grail War as an external ally.
Old Jubstacheit turned his head, his gaze falling upon the silver-haired girl standing nearby.
"Irisviel, what is the condition of the vessel?"
"There are no issues. It can function normally even in Fuyuki." Irisviel answered smoothly.
The wish-granting machine, the Omnipotent Cauldron, exists only as a spiritual entity and has no physical form. Therefore, to materialize it as the "Holy Grail," two Grail vessels must be prepared: the Greater Grail, which stores prana, and the Lesser Grail, which holds the souls of the Servants.
The task of preparing the artificial Lesser Grail has been the responsibility of the Einzbern family for generations since the Holy Grail War began. This artificial human girl named Irisviel was specifically created to be the Lesser Grail for the Fourth Holy Grail War.
"Excellent." Jubstacheit's eyes flashed with a mad, intense light, and he nodded solemnly. "This time, we must... leave no one alive. Kill all six other Servants. This time, we must achieve the Third Magic, the Heaven's Feel!"
"Yes, Elder!"
Listening to the Elder's command, which was imbued with a cursed, fanatical passion, Kiritsugu and Irisviel answered in unison.
But in his heart, Kiritsugu dismissed the old Elder's obsessive desire.
He had accepted the Einzbern commission not for money, but to use the omnipotent Holy Grail to realize his wish of saving all humanity.
Committed to this ideal, Kiritsugu had always silently accepted the Einzbern family's attempts to draw him in, only to cast them aside.
Whether it was Irisviel by his side or the child conceived with his own sperm, the cold man consistently maintained a distant, unfamiliar boundary, unwilling to engage with them.
To achieve his ideal of world peace, Kiritsugu had sacrificed almost everything. The hardships he endured from childhood taught him one principle: if you never possess, you can never lose.
Therefore, he always maintained a respectful distance from those useless bonds and shackles.
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