The servant before Koe was an assassin.

She wore tattered clothes and rusty armor, matching her own damaged body.

Her long white hair seemed to have been unkempt for her entire life.

Although her face was dull and emotionless, her eyes still dimly shone with the spirit of battle.

Looking at the kneeling assassin, Koe grew nervous. This was a first for him,

"You may stand, Assassin."

Heeding Koe’s command, Assassin stood back up.

Due to Assassin’s inaction, Koe was at a loss.

This was his first Holy Grail War and the first time he had become a Master.

“First, let’s go somewhere else.” Koe glanced at Assassin, then added, “Don’t attack Caster, she is our ally.”

Following Koe’s suggestion, the three of them entered the house and took a seat in the living room.

Koe and Assassin sat together while Caster sat across the table from them.

Sharply gazing at Caster, Assassin asked a question.

"What are you scheming, Caster?" Assassin’s hostility was palpable.

As a servant, Assassin was privy to how the Holy Grail War functioned.

Seven masters and seven servants were destined to fight for the Holy Grail, an artifact that could grant any wish.

However, only one master and servant could have their wishes granted in the end.

If Caster was the one Koe contracted with, her wish would be the one granted if they survived until the end.

Due to this, Assassin opposed Caster.

Koe was left perplexed, he didn’t understand why the two were feuding.

Caster hadn’t revealed everything she knew about the Holy Grail War to him yet.

“Master, it seems this woman hasn’t told you the truth of the Holy Grail War.”

“Only the final surviving master and servant have the right to use the Holy Grail.

Assassin coldly replied.

"Is that so, Caster?" Koe questioned Caster.

Caster smiled and confirmed it. “That is correct.”

This didn’t bother Koe, after all they could form a truce for now. When the rest lay dead, they could settle things with a duel to determine the final victor.

But before Koe could speak, Caster interjected.

"Don't worry,I am not interested in the Grail nor the war.”

Both Koe and Assassin took her words at face value.

“As you can see, I no longer have a master and I will soon disappear into the sands of time.

“I have already lost.”

“However, meeting you has piqued my curiosity.”

Looking at Koe, Caster’s eyes gleamed from beneath her hood.

Sensing her intentions, Assassin quickly moved her hand to protect Koe.

“Don’t worry yourselves, I just want this stupid war to end.”

“But in exchange for my help, Master, I want to see the life you’ve lived until this moment.

As Caster, she had deep experience and knowledge in magic. However, in the end she became numb to everything she knew and practiced.

With her original goal out of reach, Caster decided to find a new path.

She was determined to tutor Koe in magecraft, perhaps Koe’s development would sate her boredom for the remainder of this war.

“Thus, I shall grant you my help at my own volition.”

Caster’s smile seemed genuine.

After some consideration, Koe accepted Caster’s offer.

“But before anything else, I must tell you something, Master.”

“Don’t take this personally, but with the current quality of your magic circuits, it is impossible to have two servant contracts at once.”

Koe’s brows furrowed, “Is it because I don’t have enough magic to maintain both your forms?”

"Yes."

“In that case, as the proposer, you should already have a solution to this problem, correct?”

When Koe managed to summon Assassin, he felt a connection to Assassin, he was constantly supplying her with his magic.

Due to his low-quality magic circuits, Koe could only have one servant.

Pondering his problem, Koe suddenly thought of something.

“You only need to be resupplied with mana, right?

Koe’s eyes brightened as he began to comprehend Caster’s plan.

“Mana is life energy converted through magic circuits, thus the amount of mana one has is determined by the quantity and quality of their magic circuits.

“In addition,mana can also be obtained as long as life energy can be obtained.”

Seeing her new master understand, Caster’s interest in him increased.

But Caster felt something was off. “Do you mind if I use the life of another as a source of mana?”

Koe looked at her confused, "Why should I care about the lives of others?"

“Humans are born, they grow, and then they die. In the end everyone dies, the only difference is when and how they die. " Koe replied disinterestedly.

Caster burst into laughter upon hearing her master’s answer.

“Although you are not a magus, you have the mindset of one.

“Alright, since everything is settled, it's time you both start explaining what the Holy Grail War is again.”

"Also, tell me more about True magic after explaining the war."

. . . .

That same night, in the Shinto section of Fuyuki City.

A magnificent residence styled with a mix of both traditional and modern Japanese architecture.

The interior decor was filled with traditional and natural nuances, giving off a clean and refreshing appearance.

The living room.

Two women were sitting opposite from each other.

On the right, sat a woman in a two-piece business suit with a red-violet necktie and short magenta hair.

She was Bazett Fraga McRemitz. Sitting across from her was a younger girl.

The girl had long white hair and wore traditional Japanese clothes.

“So, Bazett-san, do you accept this temporary alliance?

Bazett looked at her, then replied. "The Clock Tower wants to cooperate with you during this war, I have no objections."

"Is that so?" The girl happily clasped her hands.

“Do you have a place to stay during the war? How about you stay here until our alliance is finished?”

The girl cheerfully extended her hospitality.

Bazett carefully examined the girl before her for a bit before accepting her invitation.

“I accept your gratitude.”

"Since we're officially allies now,why don’t we introduce our servants first?"

Met with Bazett’s silence, the girl realized she was too overbearing.

Lowering her request, she added, “I’m not asking for their true name, I just want to know what class they are.”

"If we are to cooperate in the future, we might as well introduce our servants now."

At Bazett's behest, a servant appeared behind her.

The servant had blue hair, red eyes, and wore a deep ultramarine bodysuit covered in protection runes.

"Yo." The servant greeted the white-haired girl.

The strong aura emanating from the servant’s mere presence surprised the girl. .

“Master, is this our ally for this war?” Lancer casually asked.

"This is Lancer." Ignoring Lancer, Bazett introduced him.

"Lancer? Oh, I see. I thought he was an Assassin or a Rider.” The girl chuckled with amusement.

“Since you've shown your servant, I suppose it is my turn now. Come to me, Saber."

With that command, a servant appeared behind the girl. "Yes, master?"

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

She had a carefree and easy-going demeanor.

The Servant had two swords at her side and had a spiky ponytail.

Saber looked at Lancer and greeted him. “So, you are Lancer, it looks like we will be fighting together until this war ends.”

"It seems so." Lancer replied with a smile.

"Before anything else, master." Saber looked at the girl sitting in front of her. "Has the war started yet?"

“I mean, I’ve already been sitting in this house for three days already. You don’t seem keen to make any moves soon either.” Saber complained, the lack of action bored her.

"How about we go into town and browse the local food shops ?"

The girl couldn't help but grimace, the servant she summoned was too impulsive and relaxed.

"Miss Yuyami." Bazett called out to the girl, “Since the Holy Grail War has started, let's discuss our future plans.”

Hearing this Saber revealed a mild displeasure.

“Hey Saber, how about we spar outside for a bit?” Lancer asked Saber.

"Not interested, instead of fighting with me, why don't you scout out the city for other masters ?"

Saber leaned into Yuyami(夕闇), and softly cooed. "Master~ Why don't we practice swordsmanship together one more time?"

Yuyami groaned, "You suggested that Lancer go on patrol, yet on the contrary you want to stay home. Wouldn't it be better if you went along with Lancer on his patrol?"

“Perhaps this war will end sooner if you act more seriously.”

“What do you think, Bazett-san? Do you agree that these two should patrol tonight?”

"Alright, Lancer, have Saber join you.” Bazett ordered.

“Master, master, are you sure you want to be alone with this woman?” Saber pointed her chin at Bazett.” What if she attacks you when I'm not around?"

Yuyami smiled. "Don't worry, I trust Bazett-san."

Although her words were spoked casually, they carried a deeper meaning.

"Fine, if you say so, Master."

The two servants then disappeared.

They would hunt down any masters or servants they encountered on their patrol.

Now that they were alone, Yuyami began the meeting proper.

“Bazett-san, I heard that your family inherited the Sorcery trait, is that true?”

"That is public knowledge, don’t ask frivolous questions."

Yuyami smirked.

"In that case, I'm curious about that 'thing' that you can use with your Sorcery trait."

. . .

After appearing on the roof of one of Fuyuki City’s many buildings, Lancer spoke first. “Hey Saber.”

Following Lancer’s voice, Saber also appeared on the roof.

"What is it?" She asked casually.

“What is your opinion of this Holy Grail War?”

"Huh?" Saber looked surprised. "Why are you asking?"

"Do you think victory is impossible?” " Saber stared at Lancer's back.

"It's not that, I just have a bad premonition." Lancer looked down at the humans milling about in the streets.

“It's just a hunch, after all, Divine Spirits can’t be summoned this time, right?? We can relax.”

Lancer turned around to look at the carefree and distracted Saber.

“You, are you the Heroic Spirit of this land?”

"Haha." Saber smirked arrogantly. "What do you think?"

Lancer looked at Saber’s Japanese outfit and curved sword.

"Well, I’ll find out your True name sooner or later. Alright, we’ll go our separate ways. Do whatever you feel like. "

With that Lancer's figure disappeared, leaving a grumbling Saber.

"This land, huh?" Saber's eyes filled with emotion.

"Since Master ordered it, I'll go patrol first." Then, Saber too disappeared from the rooftop

. . .

A woman with long and beautiful orange hair leisurely walked through the city.

Due to her eye-catching appearance, many passersby stole glances at her.

She sighed wearily, “That bastard is difficult to locate, I’ve been wandering around for so long, yet I can’t even find a trace of him."

"Maybe I should go check over there." The woman then reflected on that for a moment. “Impossible, there is no way he would stay at such an obvious place.”

Once again, worry filled her face.

Immersed in the night life of the city, she continued her hunt until she was interrupted, she sensed energy fluctuating around her.

The woman stopped and looked up at the sky to her left.

"Servants?"

The woman's brows furrowed and she became more irritated." Has another war started already? Damn it." She swore that she had the worst timing ever.

Then, she looked in the opposite direction.

"Another one ? Hm, this one seems to be stronger than the last.” With her special ability, she could catch everything happening around her like a predator.

“Fortunately they went in the opposite direction. I didn't Fighting servants isn’t in my job description."

With that, the woman ducked into a quiet alley and changed her appearance to less eye-catching.

Now, her short black hair and casual clothes matched the local trends better.

. . .

At Tohsaka's residence.

Even though Rin had just finished the servant summoning ritual, no servant appeared in her basement.

However, when she went upstairs, she found a room in chaos and a servant dressed in red casually sitting on her sofa.

"Who are you?"

The servant didn’t bother to look at Rin as he answered. “I am Archer. Are you the master who has summoned me?”

"Archer?" Rin looked a little disappointed, she was hoping to summon a servant with the Saber class.

"So Archer, what's your True name?"

Archer glanced at Rin before replying. "I can't say, I don't remember my True name."

"Huh?" Rin protested. "How could you forget your True name?"

Suddenly, a realization racked Rin’s mind. "Are you some nameless and low tier heroic spirit, is that why you can’t remember your own True name? "

Archer simply ignored Rin’s protests. "Just think of one that you’re comfortable with."

Rin then looked around her, the room’s disaterious state irked her. “Archer, as a servant, you will clean this place up.”

Rin then left for another floor.

Archer wanted to retort, however Rin had already left his sight. He could only sigh out. “You’re taking the term “servant” too literally.”

. . .

The next day, Rin went to school as if things were still normal.

[Master, are you sure going to school during a war is wise?]

[Since the Holy Grail War is now ongoing, anyone could become and master and attack you suddenly if you let your guard down.]

Rin nonchalantly replied. [Do you really think any of my fellow students could also be a master?? Apart from the Tohsaka and Matou families, there are no other magus families in this city.]

[After all, the Matou family is…] Rin stopped her words.

[It's up to you, master.]

Just as Rin stepped into the school grounds, she felt an unfamiliar energy.

“?" Rin was shocked.

"Impossible." Rin incredulously looked around her.

[It seems that you have found the enemy, master. Congratulations!] Archer mocked Rin.

Rin couldn't believe it, everything was happening too suddenly.

After all, it was too coincidental that another master was either attending or had a relationship with this specific school.

Also, this master installed magecraft over the entire school grounds?

Were they insane?

It was like they were flaunting the fact that they were at this school.

Pondering these questions gave Rin a headache.

[Archer, be careful.]

[You are the one who should be careful, Master.]

School then passed normally for Rin.

However, during breaktime, Rin climbed to the school's roof and found a magic circle engraved there.

[There's no mistaking it, a servant must have created this.] Archer commented.

“What was their master thinking? Do they really want to make this school their headquarters?”

"What do you think, Archer?"

[Do what you want.]

After school finished, Rin decided to explore every part of the school to determine how many magic circles the servant had carved.

By nightfall, Rin found more than a dozen magic circles carved into various parts of the school.

After failing to break the magic circles with her power, Rin decided to go back to the roof of the school.

“Archer, do you think the master who installed all these magic circles will be coming tonight?”

[Who knows, maybe they chose to leave this place because their plan was exposed before they managed to finish it.]

. . . .

Emiya's house.

Koe was calmly discussing and learning magecraft with Caster.

They were now gathered in the living room.

“Hmm Master."

After spending the entire day teaching Koe, Caster had a better understanding of how Koe used magecraft.

“Normally, a magus would teach you refined spells.”

“But since you don't have a teacher and have to learn by yourself, your usage of magecraft is rather primitive.”

"You are nothing more than a child splashing with water."

“Completely dwarfed by magus with a formal education in magecraft.”

Koe already knew his own shortcomings, however he still wanted to hear Caster’s opinion, as she was far more skilled in magecraft.

“Despite your brutish usage of mana, you are still very talented.”

Caster recalled how easily Koe used his mana, as if it was a tool bound to his will.

“In the end, your knowledge of magecraft is as wide as the ocean, but as deep as a puddle. .”

Koe internalized those words.

All he was doing was mana manipulation, instead of casting spells

He could manipulate it as he wished, however it lacked a solid form. .

Caster continued, “The manipulation technique you practice is actually more suited to your circumstances, because you have poor magic circuitry and a low Od capacity.”

"Instead of using a refined spell, you are using a magecraft that suits your current needs."

“But even so, you still have to hone your technique to reach the current levels of spells used in this era. ”

Koe answered with this.”That is my goal, but no matter what I do, my technique can’t grow deeper, all I can do is increase its width.”

“Thank you for your teachings, Caster. I will still need time to cultivate your Age of God magecraft into the techniques that I developed.”

After this, Caster continued her conversation with Koe about magecraft and also their plans on how they were going to win the Holy Grail War.

. . .

In the lonely part of the crowd, a man with a sinister black aura emanating from every limb of his body staggered out.

He looked into an empty and dim alleyway.

His eyes narrowed and the aura on his body became more intense.

"Come out, don’t think I don’t know you are here."

From the other end of the deserted alley, a young man walked out arrogantly. He had blue hair and wore a school uniform.

"Haha. I didn't expect to meet a servant in a place like this."

Shinji approached before stopping directly across from the man.

"Rider!"

At Shinji's command, a female servant came out of the air and jumped at the man.

Rider threw one of her chain-linked weapons at the man, however the man didn’t move a centimeter.

A master and servant pair were nothing more than insects in his eyes.

"Servants?" The man watched Rider jumping and attempting to find an opening in his defenses. “So that damned war has started yet again.”

“Good, good, it seems that my awakening this time was caused by that cursed war. That hound must have also awakened alongside me too.”

Delighted by the fact that his nemesis had also awakened from her slumber, the man became ecstatic.

As the snaking and coiling chains approached the man, he simply waved his hand. A fire-like shadow spread from his hand, instantly deflecting and burning the chain thrown by Rider.

Not missing this opportunity, the man then leapt forward towards Shinji, Rider, who charging at him from the air.

"You’ll die first!" Living fire-like shadows rose from all over the man's body and advanced like a devouring flood towards Shinji.

"Ieekkkk." In his fright, Shinji fell onto his butt as he called out for Rider’s assistance.

Responding to Shinji’s cry, Rider appeared between him and the black flames.

But like a small pebble before a mighty flood, Rider could not hold back the black flames as it overwhelmed her body. The flames pushed through her and continued towards Shinji.

Without even a death gurgle, Shinji vanished utterly. Not even a single dust speck remained after the fire-like shadows devoured his body.

The man was unimpressed. “Are the masters of this war that weak? Or is the hound simply that much stronger?” ”

“Well it doesn’t matter. Master, servant, hound, all will die by my hand.”