"What exactly are you?"
Scathach circled me like a predator, her wine-red eyes gleaming with curiosity.
I met her gaze with an amused smirk. "Now, wouldn't that be a mystery worth unraveling?" I let the words hang for a moment before continuing. "But for now, I have a more pressing request—would you be willing to become my teacher in combat and magic? I also have a group of exceptionally talented warriors in need of training, the likes of which this world has never seen."
She paused, studying me carefully. "And what of the Holy Grail War?"
Ah, right. The current timeline placed me at the very start of the Fifth Holy Grail War—slightly ahead of schedule, which worked to my advantage. I had already adjusted my background to enter as a Master, and thanks to my Peerage system, I had the freedom to choose which Servant I wanted to summon.
"The Grail itself is corrupted," I said, shrugging. "It won't grant a proper wish, and its only real use is reaching the Root—neither of which interests me. What does interest me are some of the relics and Servants tied to the war." My lips curled into a grin. "But honestly? The real prize was you. That's the only reason I chose to come here."
Scathach stilled for a brief moment before a stunning smile graced her lips. She stepped forward, pressing a single finger against my chest. "Oh? That almost sounds like a proposal." Her voice turned teasing. "But if you desire me, you'll have to prove your worth first."
I chuckled. "That's the plan. But before I get to that, I need a proper teacher."
She tapped her lips thoughtfully before smirking. "I suppose I can take you under my wing. You do seem to have potential. And I'm curious to see these warriors you spoke of."
"Great." I exhaled slightly, already thinking ahead. "Now, before we leave, I need to take care of a few things."
Currently, we were in Fuyuki City, about a week before the war officially started. That gave me plenty of time to clean up some problems—and maybe snatch a few useful items—before heading back.
---
Elsewhere…
Shirou had no idea what had just happened.
One moment, he was heading to the bathroom. The next, he was waking up on the floor, his entire body feeling... off. It was subtle, yet undeniable—like something had been taken from him.
Meanwhile, across the city, Sakura Matou awoke feeling more refreshed and alive than she had in years. The suffocating weight she always carried was simply gone. However, her relief quickly turned to confusion and unease when she returned home—only to find the Matou estate missing.
The entire manor had vanished without a trace.
Shinji. Zouken. Everything.
It was as if the Matou family had never existed at all.
---
The magic circle blazed to life once more, Scathach smirking as she watched the ritual unfold. "You know this is cheating, right?"
"Yep." I grinned.
A figure emerged from the light, stepping forward with regal poise. I felt the familiar drain of magical energy—but it was negligible at best.
"Servant Saber. I ask of you—are you my Master?"
Artoria Pendragon stood before me, radiating noble presence despite her diminutive size. Her sharp emerald eyes locked onto mine, scanning me with curiosity and determination.
I gave her a casual wave. "That's me. Nice to meet you. I believe this belongs to you?"
With a flick of my wrist, I tossed her Avalon—the sheath of Excalibur, which I had conveniently retrieved from Shirou earlier. It had been embedded within his body, making it an ideal catalyst for summoning Artoria. Of course, this technically counted as an illegal summon, but I didn't give a damn about the rules of the Holy Grail War.
This war was already screwed anyway, with a corrupted Grail, Gilgamesh lurking around, and more cheaters than I could count.
Artoria caught Avalon, her expression shifting to one of shock. "How did you get this?"
"I'll explain later." I waved her off. "For now, I have a few other things to take care of."
She frowned but accepted the scabbard without further protest.
---
She had finally done it.
Caster—Medea—had severed her ties with that disgusting excuse for a Master, forcing him to use up all his Command Seals in desperation. However, her escape had come at a steep cost. Wounded and drained, she now staggered through the darkened woods, her body on the verge of collapse.
A figure appeared before her, standing tall, strong, and undeniably powerful. Magic pulsed from his body in waves, and her sharp eyes immediately caught the unmistakable glow of Command Seals on his hand.
Her heart sank. So this is it, huh?
She lacked the mana to fight, and without a Master, she wouldn't last much longer. Resigned to her fate, she closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable.
But death never came.
Instead, warmth flooded her body—rich, potent magic seeping into her veins, stabilizing her wounds.
A voice, deep and calm, reached her ears. "Hello, Medea. Would you like to make a contract with me?"
Her eyes snapped open. "You…!"
The man before her crouched slightly, extending a hand. "I'm not interested in the Grail War. I'm here for people, not some broken wish-granting device. I can offer you something better—a second chance. A new life in a different world."
She hesitated.
On one hand, she had been betrayed too many times to count. Her past had been filled with pain, deception, and loss. And yet... there was a flicker of something deep within her, something fragile but persistent.
Hope.
Even if it was a lie, what did she have to lose?
Slowly, cautiously, she reached out her hand.
---
In the distance, a massive bolt of lightning tore through the night sky, striking a church with divine fury. The building was vaporized in an instant—nothing but ash and rubble remained.
The priest inside never saw it coming.
Even the golden-haired king who had once deemed himself untouchable was caught off guard, his usual smug confidence momentarily replaced by surprise.
A moment later, Ryan, Scathach, Medea, and Artoria vanished from the world—leaving behind nothing but chaos in their wake.
Their mission was complete.
A combat teacher. A swordsmanship teacher. A magic teacher.
With all three secured, Ryan had achieved his goal.
Now, it was time to move forward.
[Votes were in for a yes to Medea and Artoria, sorry for those of you who wanted Lancer Artoria we can't have Lancer Artoria and Lancer Scathach. We get Lancer Scathach, Saber Artoria, Caster Medea. I know people are also going to complain about something like not devouring Gilgamesh and ending him like that when I could have gotten his abilities. However in truth I would never, ever approach Gilgamesh, I would 100% slaughter him from a distance without giving him a chance to recover or come back, or use any of those deadly little trinkets in his Gate, approaching that guy is foolish beyond measure.]