~ Support & Read 10 Advanced Chapters on My Patreon!
<><><><>
Paris, France.
Bang!
The muffled report of a silenced pistol echoed from a rooftop.
Kiritsugu Emiya, looking through the rifle's scope, watched the commotion below as people scattered, their panic fueled by the fallen body. Confirming the target's death, he quickly packed up his gear and left.
Half an hour later, having evaded the authorities, he arrived at a small hotel, entered his room, and opened his laptop. He navigated to a specific webpage and clicked "Submit Mission."
A new message appeared.
Kiritsugu's eyes narrowed as he saw the sender's name—Einzbern. He hesitated, then clicked on the message.
His expression turned serious.
"A thousand-year-old family seeking a husband for their daughter? Victory in the Fourth Holy Grail War? The—Omnipotent Grail—capable of granting any wish…?"
Kiritsugu considered the Einzbern's offer. Their request was simple—win the Fourth Holy Grail War, eight years from now, and complete the Third Magic—Heaven's Feel.
In return, he would immediately become a member of the Einzbern family through marriage and be granted a single wish upon obtaining the Holy Grail.
Kiritsugu's heart pounded. The promise of a wish—that was what intrigued him. As a pragmatist, he knew the difficulty of achieving his goal—world peace.
And the Holy Grail, the Omnipotent Grail capable of granting any wish—it was the perfect shortcut.
But then, he looked down at his—altered body, a sigh escaping his lips.
He closed the laptop and pulled out a cigarette, a bitter taste in his mouth. The Einzbern's offer was—useless to him. A month ago, he might have considered it, but now…
What family would accept a eunuch as a son-in-law? He had no chance. But the Grail's power—the ability to grant any wish—was too tempting to ignore.
Wait—the Holy Grail War—that meant multiple participants, right? A thought sparked in his mind. "I need to gather information—about the Holy Grail War."
Unable to fulfill the Einzbern's requirements, Kiritsugu decided to pursue the Grail on his own.
...
Kiritsugu wasn't the only Magician to receive the Einzbern's invitation. Acht, having made his decision, had sent out offers to infamous mages across the globe.
Unlike Kiritsugu, however, these mages had readily accepted, converging upon Germany, eager to compete for the Einzbern's favor, for the chance to become their son-in-law.
These were mages, not Magicians. A Magician sought to reach the Root, the source of all magic, while adhering to a strict code of secrecy.
Mages, on the other hand, were those who used magic as a tool, often for nefarious purposes.
They were numerous, but their status in the magical world was—lowly. They were exploited by the Mage's Association, the Dead Apostle Ancestors, and the Church—their existence was a constant struggle for survival.
And now, these mages had been offered a chance to gain the support of a thousand-year-old family, escape their current predicament, acquire a beautiful and wealthy wife, and have a wish granted by the Holy Grail?
It was an opportunity too good to pass up.
Driven by dreams of a better life, they flocked to Germany, to the Einzbern's hidden fortress.
...
Germany. A blizzard had just ended, blanketing the land in a thick layer of snow.
"Kohaku, slow down!"
"Hisui, don't encourage your sister."
"And Akiha, why are you joining them?…"
Aoi Zenjou, bundled in a thick, brown coat, black earmuffs covering her ears, sat on a park bench, watching the three little girls running around, having a snowball fight.
"These children—they've only been with us for a month, and they're already so—energetic. They don't even listen to me anymore," she muttered.
"You're too much of a soft touch, Aoi. You need to be stricter with them," Haru said, his usual black t-shirt and gray slacks a stark contrast to Aoi's winter attire. He watched the girls play, a smile on his face.
"But—what if something happens to them? I'm worried," Aoi said, her eyes scanning the crowd surrounding them, her voice laced with concern.
Nearly fifty men, of various ages and ethnicities, surrounded the bench—white, black—their faces grim, their bodies tense.
And with the exception of Haru, they were all armed—pistols, rifles, even a few rocket launchers.
Aoi could sense the killing intent radiating from them. That's why she'd tried to stop the girls from playing. Even though she knew these men couldn't harm the children under Haru's protection, she couldn't shake her unease.
They were just outside the Einzbern's barrier, and these men were the infamous mages Acht had invited—potential candidates to become the Einzbern's son-in-law.
They watched the three little girls play, their gazes occasionally flicking towards Haru, their expressions a mixture of confusion and—disdain.
They knew they were here to compete for the Einzbern's favor. But this—man—he'd brought his entire family.
Several of the mages sneered at Haru, their eyes filled with contempt—Married, with three children, and he still wants to be adopted into the Einzbern family? You should be ashamed of yourself!!
Haru remained unfazed. The day before, after Natalia had informed him of the Einzbern's recent activities, he'd decided to—participate, bringing Aoi and the girls along.
Crashing a marriage proposal with his own family—How.. interesting!!
As the mages watched, the Einzbern's barrier shimmered, slowly opening.
<><><><>
Support & Read 10 Advanced Chapters. Ahead of the rest!
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
There is 9 Exciting Fanfics already available on my Patreon!