4 days before the Holy Grail War starts
I stared at the Command Seal on my hand for a few seconds longer than necessary, my eyes tracing the pattern.
"…A Master, huh."
There was no mistaking it. The Grail had acknowledged me as a participant, whether I wanted it to or not. But that only led to one question that kept repeating in my head.
"Why me?"
I wasn't from a proper magus family, didn't have any lineage tied to the ritual, and I definitely wasn't someone who had been preparing for this my entire life. Compared to people like the Tohsakas or the other established families, I shouldn't even be part of this war in the first place.
I exhaled slowly, running a hand through my hair as I leaned back slightly, letting the thought settle before pushing it aside. For a moment, I tried to piece it together, going over what had happened recently, what could have led to this.
Then it clicked.
Uryuu.
He was supposed to be one of the Masters. Not a magus, not someone qualified in the traditional sense, but chosen anyway simply because there was no one else suitable at the time and I eliminated him before the war even began.
The Grail didn't care about qualifications the way magi did. It didn't care about lineage or preparation. It only needed participants. And if one of them was removed before the war officially started…
Then it would just replace them.
With whoever happened to be there.
I exhaled, my gaze shifting slightly as I pushed the thought aside.
"I don't even want the Grail."
The words came out quieter than I expected, I was reminding myself of something obvious. I didn't have some grand wish or obsession that pushed me toward it. If anything, being a direct participant in this war would only complicate everything I had already set up. But doing nothing wasn't an option. If I stayed passive, I'd just end up being hunted down by someone else who was taking this seriously. And without a Servant, I wouldn't stand a chance against actual participants.
Which meant I had to move first.
...
I stepped back into position in front of the summoning circle, the faint traces of prana still settling into place as the structure stabilized. The air in the room felt heavier now, reacting to the completed preparations, waiting for the final trigger to be spoken.
I closed my eyes briefly, not out of reverence, but to steady my focus. I didn't know the proper chant by heart, and I wasn't about to pretend I did. Instead, I relied on what I had seen before, reconstructing it in my own way, adapting the structure while keeping the intent intact.
I raised my hand slightly, prana flowing steadily as I began.
"Let silver and steel become the essence. Let stone and the archduke of contracts serve as the foundation."
The circle responded faintly, lines glowing as the ritual acknowledged the invocation.
"Let this offering bear the color I now pay tribute to. Let the lineage of a forgotten Master be the anchor of this summoning."
"Let rise a barrier against the winds that shall ultimately fall. Let the four cardinal gates be sealed. Let the three-forked path from the crown descend and turn toward the Kingdom."
A subtle distortion formed at the center of the circle, light beginning to gather.
"I hereby declare—your existence shall answer to my command. My fate shall be entrusted to your blade. Submit to the call of the Holy Grail."
The Command Seals on my hand pulsed faintly in response, confirming the contract being formed.
"If you will respond to this will and this reason… then reveal yourself. An oath shall be forged here."
The glow intensified, the circle fully activating now, prana surging through its structure as the summoning reached its peak.
"I shall pursue the virtues that Heaven grants. I shall uphold dominion over the evils that dwell in Hell."
I held my stance steady.
"From the Seventh Heaven, guided by three words of power, break free from the ring of restraint—"
The pressure peaked.
"O protector of balance, descend now."
The summoning circle flared to life in a burst of light, the air warping violently as the boundary between worlds tore open, and something began to manifest at its center.
The light faded, leaving the summoning circle still faintly glowing as the air settled into a quiet stillness. For a brief moment, nothing moved.
Then—
"What the—"
A voice broke the silence from within the circle, tinged with disbelief and a hint of frustration.
"Why am I summoned as a Caster?"
The figure raised a hand slightly, glancing at his own form as if confirming the situation wasn't some kind of mistake. His expression carried a mix of annoyance and resignation, but there was also something light in his tone, almost amused at the absurdity of it.
The man let out a small breath, his posture relaxing despite the situation, though his eyes soon shifted toward me, acknowledging my presence as his Master.
"Hah... this is a first."
He tilted his head slightly, as if trying to reconcile the situation in his mind.
"Guess this is what they meant by 'you don't always get what you want,' huh?"
There was no hostility in his voice, just a clear sense of regret, the kind that came from being placed into a role he didn't prefer. His tone remained easygoing, but beneath it was the awareness that being summoned as a Caster meant a very different kind of combat compared to what he was used to.
He exhaled again, then shrugged lightly, as if deciding to accept the situation for what it was.
"…Well, no use complaining after the fact."
His gaze returned to me, sharper now, more focused.
"You're my Master, then?"
Despite the playful tone, his presence remained steady, composed, already settling into the role expected of him, even if it wasn't the class he would have chosen.
"Yes. Caster, I'm your Master."
My voice came out steady, without hesitation, carrying the weight of someone who had already accepted the situation for what it was. I didn't bother with theatrics or uncertainty, there was no need for them.
"I am Amamiya Eiji. Lend me your strength."
I met his gaze directly, making my intent clear.
On the other side, the Servant let out a short breath, his expression shifting slightly as he took me in more carefully, as if reassessing the situation now that the formalities were out of the way.
The man scratched the side of his head lightly, his earlier composure giving way to something more candid, almost amused.
"Didn't expect to be summoned by a kid."
There was no disrespect in his tone, just blunt observation, delivered in that relaxed, slightly playful manner of his. His eyes narrowed just a bit, not in hostility, but in curiosity, as if gauging whether this "kid" in front of him could actually hold his ground in a war like this.
He let his hand drop back to his side, posture easing as he accepted the situation.
"Guess appearances don't tell the whole story."
He placed a hand lightly against his chest, offering a simple but proper introduction, his voice steady and clear.
"Cú Chulainn. Child of light, hailing from Ulster."
His eyes met mine as he spoke, carrying that familiar blend of confidence and ease, though now tempered with a sense of formality befitting a Servant addressing his Master.
"…Guess I'll be under your command from here on out."
...
In the quiet halls of the church, the Overseer stood still for a moment, his expression tightening ever so slightly as he focused on the faint ripple that had just passed through the Greater Grail's system.
A Servant had been summoned.
Risei Kotomine exhaled slowly, his eyes narrowing as he processed the implication. The summoning of a Caster-class Servant, especially under unusual circumstances, was not something to ignore. Each class carried its own strategic weight, and Caster, while often underestimated, was capable of shifting the balance depending on the nature of their Master and the abilities they possessed.
He turned without delay, his robes shifting as he moved with measured urgency toward the exit.
This was information that needed to be relayed immediately.
Soon after, he arrived at the residence of one of the participants, standing before the estate with a composed but purposeful presence. Without wasting time on unnecessary formalities, he was granted entry, and he proceeded inward to meet the man he sought.
"Tohsaka."
Tohsaka Tokiomi looked up from his seat, maintaining his usual refined composure, though his attention sharpened the moment he recognized the Overseer's presence.
Risei did not delay.
"The caster class servant has been summoned."
Tokiomi remained silent for a brief moment after the Overseer's report, allowing the information to settle fully in his mind. Then, almost imperceptibly, the corners of his lips lifted into a composed, confident smile.
"Caster, you say."
Tohsaka Tokiomi adjusted his posture slightly, his tone regaining its usual refined arrogance, as though the appearance of an additional Servant was more an inconvenience than a threat.
"I suppose it is not entirely unexpected that someone has acted ahead of schedule."
His eyes closed briefly, as if already concluding the matter in his mind.
"A Caster-class Servant, however… is hardly something that should concern us."
When he opened his eyes again, there was a quiet certainty in them, confidence rooted in his understanding of the Holy Grail War and the typical limitations associated with each class.
"Outside of the Three Knight Classes, Saber, Archer, and Lancer—most Servants lack the ability to stand on equal footing in direct confrontation."
His tone carried a subtle edge of superiority.
"Caster may excel in preparation and sorcery, but in open combat, their limitations are clear."
That said, his expression did not remain entirely dismissive. A faint trace of caution lingered beneath the surface, a reminder that unpredictability was the one factor even he could not fully control.
"Still."
His gaze shifted slightly, thoughtful.
"A newly summoned Servant means a newly established variable. Their Master, their parameters, their identity—all of it remains unknown."
The smile returned, though more restrained this time.
"We will not underestimate them. Merely… we will not overestimate them either."
Tokiomi's hands clasped neatly behind his back as he turned slightly, already transitioning his thoughts back toward his broader strategy.
"Continue to monitor the situation, Overseer. If this Caster becomes relevant, we will respond accordingly."
Even with his confidence, there was discipline in his caution, a balance between arrogance and restraint, befitting someone who intended to reach the end of the war without miscalculation.
Tokiomi maintained his composed posture even after the Overseer departed, yet his thoughts lingered on the new development. A Caster-class Servant appearing earlier than expected was not something to dismiss outright, even if it did not immediately threaten his position.
He turned slightly, pacing a step as his mind shifted from the general situation to specific possibilities.
"Caster..."
Tohsaka Tokiomi murmured to himself, narrowing down potential Masters who could have triggered such an early summoning. While most participants would be constrained by timing and preparation, there had been one presence in Fuyuki that had not escaped his attention in recent months.
"The one who employs familiars."
Not a direct participant in any overt sense, at least, not publicly. But his network of reconnaissance had already reported unusual activity: small, nearly imperceptible presences drifting throughout Fuyuki, observing, gathering, and dispersing without drawing attention.
Butterflies.
Not ordinary ones, but familiars used for surveillance, spreading across the city like an unseen web.
"He has been active for quite some time."
Despite his earlier confidence regarding the general limitations of the Caster class, a magus who had already established presence throughout the city for months would not be easily caught off guard, nor would they act without preparation.
Tokiomi's gaze returned forward, composed once more, though now carrying a deeper layer of caution beneath his aristocratic confidence.
...
3 days before the Holy Grail War starts
THE CLOCK TOWER, LONDON
Inside the halls of the Clock Tower, footsteps echoed softly against stone and polished marble as magi moved about their business, each immersed in their own pursuits of knowledge and status. Among them, Waver Velvet could be seen weaving through the corridors with a sense of urgency, his gaze scanning ahead as though searching for someone in particular.
"Hey! Weins!"
He called out as he approached, his pace slowing once he confirmed he had found his target.
The man he addressed turned slightly at the sound of his voice.
"Hmm?"
Standing before him was Melvin Weins.
Melvin is a member of the Weins family, a branch family of the Trambelios, one of the Three Great Noble families that hold sway over the Clock Tower. Together with Waver Velvet, he attended the elite Mineralogy department under the instruction of Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald.
The second word to come out of his mouth is always "Mama." The third is "women." The fourth is "Money," and before he can reach his fifth, his body will give out and he'll begin vomiting blood due to the condition he was born with.
"That last time, you said you'd give me money or anything if it got you an amusing story. Remember?" Waver asked.
"Of course!" Melvin replied. "In order to hear an interesting story, I'm ready to pay anyone money from my mom's purse!"
"Then lend me money for a trip to Japan."
"Japan?" Melvin asked curiously.
"I'll turn the whole Clock Tower on its head." Waver replied.
..............................................
Sorry for the 2-day delay in updates, I had to prioritize college. Thanks for your patience!
My favorite character from Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files makes a brief appearance here: Waver's self-proclaimed best friend, Melvin Weins—the goofiest character in the series.