Huge fluctuations.
The future of humanity was shaken by intense and unprecedentedly dreadful fluctuations.
Humanity was on the brink of extinction.
The entire Earth, all of humanity, everything, everyone—would perish.
This was the so-called 'Human Order Incineration'.
The King of the Demon Gods—Goetia, desperately sought to obliterate humanity and then reshape the world.
However, as of now, the members of Chaldea caught amid chaos hadn't completely grasped the situation.
If this were explained and associated with the mobile game, the people of Chaldea who were just hit by an explosion would still be in the game's prologue.
But even so, it was incredibly challenging!
Even the prologue's boss seemed excessively powerful!
This ominous, terrifying girl was like a presence that could be the final boss, overpowering to the extreme!
Clad in black armor, she was a petite girl who emitted a pressure akin to that of a mighty dragon.
"Knight... King of Knights?!"
Romani, who had reluctantly taken on the role of commander, was thrown into disarray.
"A girl?!"
"Oh, wait, now isn't the time to be hung up on that—what do we do, what do we do—oh, right, let's ask Magi☆Mari—eh, Mash?!"
While Romani made a series of useless moves, Mash had already stepped up.
"?!"
Under the astonished gazes of everyone, the pink-haired girl wielding a red-hilted sword bravely exchanged blows with the imposing King of Knights. If looked carefully, she wasn't at a disadvantage!
"You...!"
The King of Knights displayed a wavering expression.
"Are you Galahad from a parallel world?!"
"No!"
A barrage of light beams fired at the King of Knights, Artoria Pendragon, engulfing her.
"I'm no longer who I used to be!" Mash shouted valiantly, "After receiving training from Artorius-senpai, I've abandoned my past foolishness and weakness, becoming a true knight! No matter what, I won't be afraid!"
The next moment, a red light flickered amidst the smoke caused by the light beams and Mash was pinned to the ground by Artoria, who radiated a malevolent aura.
"Tell me..." Artoria, whose demeanor resembled that of a fearsome dragon, glared at Mash with a ferocious gaze. "Who is this Artorius-senpai you mentioned?!"
"..."
Under the gaze of the unimaginably terrifying stare of Artoria, Mash trembled.
"What's going on?!"
Romani, the temporary commander of Chaldea, exclaimed in astonishment.
"The parameters of this hostile Servant have drastically increased?!"
===
Meanwhile, in Fuyuki City.
"The Holy Grail, the Holy Grail has appeared?!"
The person who exclaimed this was none other than Kiritsugu, who had been increasingly troubled by neck problems in recent days.
One moment he was nursing grievances, wondering what Iri and Illya were up to. The next damn second, he was looking at the Holy Grail?!
"Why is the Holy Grail appearing before the Holy Grail War even started?"
"What the hell is going on???"
Unaware that the Fourth Holy Grail War had already concluded in his absence, Kiritsugu was utterly confused.
All the Servants had vanished.
They either returned to the Throne of Heroes or went to the Throne of Empire. Even those who traveled time and space (Artorius) left. After being filled with magical energy, the Holy Grail appeared outside Fuyuki City on the outskirts of Ryuudou Temple.
And before that, Ryuudou Temple had already been taken over by the Imperial Mystery Bureau.
Both the monks and the common teachers inside the temple received generous compensation and relocated, making way for layers upon layers of empire personnel who surrounded the temple like a fortress.
This included those who barred Kiritsugu from entering. As he attempted to rush in with excitement, the empire's personnel blocked his way and pinned him to the ground.
Henceforth, when Kiritsugu tried to force his way through with enthusiasm, a multitude of guns were aimed at him, prompting him to swiftly calm down.
"I am a Master in this Holy Grail War! I have the right to know the truth... I mean, I have the right to be informed!"
After resisting eight burly men holding his neck, Kiritsugu's face reddened.
"I can't breathe!"
In a daze, he saw his stepmother in heaven.
===
One day later, in the interrogation room.
"Emiya Kiritsugu, the Master of Assassin."
The bureau personnel reviewing the files looked at Kiritsugu.
"Indeed, it seems to be the case."
Kiritsugu had reason to be grateful. The empire's administrative efficiency was exceptionally high. One of the personnel flipping through the documents remarked.
"You're unexpectedly lucky. You actually won without doing anything."
"Won?"
"The Holy Grail War is over!" The personnel announced loudly to him, saying, "Your Servant, Assassin, handle everything for you. You've won without doing anything!"
"..."
Kiritsugu opened his mouth, unsure if he should shout "Yes!" or "I haven't even given my all, how did I manage to win?"
"No, that's not important. The key is the ownership of the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail is yours now. Take your time and think about your wish."
The personnel told him that, patting his shoulder while speaking, and then stood up, giving the interrogation room's place to another personnel.
The new personnel was the prosecutor of the Holy Grail War, responsible for examining the victor's wish.
If it was a simple and idiotic wish like 'opening a hole to the Root', then that's fine; you can just let it happen. After all, out of the ninety-nine mages attempting to reach the Root, ninety-nine would end up dead.
But for other wishes, careful scrutiny was required.
Just like Kiritsugu, who only said "world peace" as his wish.
"...Okay." The prosecutor replied indifferently.
Kiritsugu: "…"
Prosecutor: "…"
The two stared at each other for a few minutes. The prosecutor finally broke the silence.
Prosecutor: "That's it?"
Kiritsugu: "…"
Prosecutor: "What else?"
Kiritsugu: "?"
Prosecutor: "Be more specific! How do you intend to achieve this world peace?"
Kiritsugu: "??"
Prosecutor: "Specific systems, concrete implementation plans, the exact steps to achieve world peace—keep going!"
Kiritsugu: "???"
Kiritsugu felt like the prosecutor was giving him a hard time.
As if reading Kiritsugu's thoughts, the prosecutor calmly explained:
"The Holy Grail is a dangerous thing. You must be absolutely clear in stating your wish. Otherwise, if you only say 'world peace' and the Holy Grail eradicates all humans the next second, claiming that no humans mean no wars, then you'll become the culprit who destroyed the world, won't you?"
Kiritsugu: "…"
"Is it... that serious?"
"Yes, absolutely." The prosecutor nodded and answered. "So, please continue, Mr. Emiya. Let's see, your educational background is…"
Kiritsugu remained silent for a few seconds, feeling an unusual sense of embarrassment.
He had been aimlessly following his father since he was little, and when his father died, he followed his stepmother. And when his stepmother died, he wandered around on his own, without any good education.
"This is going to be tough."
The prosecutor wore a troubled expression after reading Kiritsugu's information. Afterward, the prosecutor started scribbling and drawing.
Kiritsugu wanted to ask but hesitated, feeling immense pressure.
This awkward silence lasted for over ten minutes, ending with the prosecutor's triumphant exclamation.
"Alright!"
The prosecutor handed a guide to Kiritsugu who raised an eyebrow. After reading the guide, the Mage Killer's eyes suddenly widened.
The list in the guide contained a long series of academic tasks.
Study history first, then philosophy; move on to law, then society. Economics follows humanities, and education comes after. Then human resources followed by principles; study classics, then advanced theories. Read Marx, Engels, and Mao; complete a master's degree, then pursue a doctorate.
"…"
As Kiritsugu looked at this string of rhyming subjects, the corners of his mouth involuntarily twitched and his entire body started trembling uncontrollably.
"This is the most basic stuff. Once you've learned these things, you'll pretty much know how to wish for world peace."
The prosecutor seemed to not notice any unusual behavior from Kiritsugu.
Kiritsugu let out a long sigh, then slammed the table suddenly.
"Can't save them, goodbye!"
Turning around, Kiritsugu was ready to dash out.
'Is this a joke? I don't even have an elementary school diploma. Isn't this asking for trouble?'
"Heh."
*SNAP!*
As the prosecutor smirked and snapped his fingers, Kiritsugu found himself instantly surrounded by a group of burly figures that appeared out of nowhere, resembling a muscular version of 'Ambatukam'.
With no time to react, Kiritsugu was seized by them.
"What are you doing?! What do you want?!"
Kiritsugu's tone had changed to a restless one.
He struggled hard, but unfortunately, his profession was that of a mere mercenary. Even though he was skilled in combat, he only had mediocre magical abilities and a body no different from ordinary humans. He wasn't a Berserker with immense strength or a cultivator who could release some qi.
The burly figures were clearly that of a well-trained professional. Once he was pinned down by them, there was no hope of getting up again.
"What am I doing? Haha."
The prosecutor's chuckles sent a shiver down Kiritsugu's spine. He felt like his dignity would be in jeopardy for the rest of his life. He scratched at the floor cracks with his nails, but it was all in vain.
He was dragged away unceremoniously by the burly figures, who also covered his mouth.
"Don't worry, Mr. Emiya!"
The prosecutor loudly reassured him.
"You're the son-in-law of the Einzbern family after all. The Einzberns are a branch of the Imperial Royal Family! During your time of study, the empire will take good care of your family! Especially your wife and daughter!"
"?!"
"Mfmf! Uguggguhhh!!!"
Hearing this, Kiritsugu not only didn't calm down but struggled even harder.
"Ugh!"
"Mpmph!"
Kiritsugu desperately tried to cling to the door before being dragged away, leaving a trail of blood in the corridor.
"..."
"His thoughts are so filthy, what's that guy thinking?"
Seemingly understanding the reason behind Kiritsugu's intense struggle, the prosecutor looked at Kiritsugu's disappearing figure with disdain.
"You're getting a free education, isn't that good enough?"
"You're living at a full-time school, and it's going to take at least three to five hundred years to master the subjects mentioned before considering your talent in them. During this time, your family is being taken care of by the Empire, isn't that good enough?"
"Why would you have such twisted thoughts? Those burly guys are straight okay? You don't need to worry about your ass for fuck's sake."
"Also, Lady Irisviel is pure, virtuous, and kind-hearted; Miss Illyasviel is innocent, kind, and good-hearted; His Majesty is upright and resolute, untouched by women's charm. What's there for you to worry about?"
"You really don't know how to appreciate what you've got. Such a great treatment, others couldn't even dream of it, yet you're nitpicking. Truly an ungrateful rascal."
After grumbling, the prosecutor tidied up the documents and left the room.
===
Author's Note:
The vacation arc ended!