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Ten years ago, the Holy Grail summoned seven Servants, pairing them with seven Masters, launching them into a deadly battle.
But something went terribly wrong.
The curses accumulated within the Holy Grail spilled over, engulfing Fuyuki City, all of Japan, and eventually the entire world. For a full year, the planet was consumed by flames, resulting in catastrophic loss of life. Humanity was decimated, and survivors were forced to retreat into fortress cities, clinging to life.
This was the origin of the Great Catastrophe, a fact accepted across the magical world.
And the root cause of it all? The Fourth Holy Grail War, all those years ago.
The impact of the Great Catastrophe was immense. It not only upended the international order, but also reshaped the hierarchy within the world of magi. Today's world has changed so drastically that even diehard Type-Moon fans wouldn't recognize it.
In theory, with the modern resources of the Mage's Association, it would have been possible to contain the cursed black mud within a limited area.
For example, if the magi had worked together, they might have been able to seal the black mud within Japan.
The black mud didn't spread nearly as fast as Tiamat's Chaos Tide, and it took a full year to blanket the globe. If the magi had the will, they could have made the immense effort necessary to contain it.
In fact, at the onset of the black mud outbreak, that's exactly what they tried to do.
And they failed, utterly.
What crushed them with overwhelming force were the six corrupted Servants that emerged from the black mud.
These six Servants were unstoppable. From the moment they appeared, they decimated the magi, scattering them like leaves in a storm. Wherever they went, no one could stand in their way, and soon the black mud had enveloped the world.
After that, the corrupted Servants returned to Japan and began wandering the wilderness there.
To put it bluntly, aside from places like the Wandering Sea, the wilds of Japan became the most dangerous place on Earth.
Running into a magical beast or a cursed spirit might be considered a stroke of luck. But encountering a corrupted Servant? That was a nightmare. Even dozens, or hundreds, of first-rate magi banding together wouldn't stand a chance against just one.
Why the corrupted Servants returned to Japan and have spent the past ten years roaming its wilderness remains a mystery. Theories abound.
But now, that mystery has finally been solved.
The power of the Holy Grail hadn't been depleted. Over the last decade, it had been accumulating mana. Now, after ten long years, the mana is finally fully restored.
The Fifth Holy Grail War is just around the corner.
At this critical juncture, five of the six corrupted Servants have returned to Fuyuki City. Their intentions are clear.
"Another Holy Grail Warā¦" Rin muttered, a flicker of frustration crossing her usually composed face.
In this world, practically everyone despised the Holy Grail War, but few hated it more than Tohsaka Rin. Her feelings toward it were so deeply rooted that no amount of words could truly express them.
"You should prepare yourself as well," Roy said with a smile, pointing at Rin's hand.
There, on the back of her hand, three scarlet Command Seals stood out in stark relief.
This was proof that she had been chosen by the Holy Grail.
Roy had noticed the Command Seals on her hand earlier in the association's hall.
The Holy Grail had been constructed by the Tohsaka, Matou, and Einzbern families. When the ritual was established, the system for selecting Masters had been set up in advance, guaranteeing that three of the seven Masters would be chosen from these families.
The Holy Grail, after all, was designed to help these families achieve their ultimate goalāthe Root. Of course, they'd prioritize their own.
No matter how much Rin might despise the idea of participating, the Holy Grail would still bind the Command Seals to her hand, like it or not.
After the three family slots were filled, two more would be reserved for members of the Mage's Association.
The remaining two slots were left for independent magi.
But this time, with the Fifth Holy Grail War, things were uncertain.
While Tohsaka and Einzbern were almost guaranteed one slot each, the Matou family had already been destroyed. Zouken Matou was officially dead, and Sakura had yet to return from Misaki City.
With over two hundred magiāboth independent and affiliated with the associationāgathered in Fuyuki, who knew who the Holy Grail would choose in the end?
"Or are you planning to give up and hand over your Command Seals to someone else?" Roy's smile turned teasing.
"Not a chance!" Rin declared firmly, staring down at the Command Seals on her hand. "I'm not giving these to anyone. I'll use this Holy Grail War to settle everything!"
Seeing the determination in her eyes, Roy knew she had already made up her mind.
And it made senseāRin was fiercely independent and didn't need anyone's advice. She could find her own way forward.
"Well, you'd better get started," Roy advised. "The association will figure things out soon enough. You've got a head start, but just a small one. You'd better use that time wisely, whether it's to seize power or to win the Holy Grail War."
"I know. Thanks."
Rin suddenly chuckled.
"Now that I think about it, I really owe you so much. I'll never be able to repay you."
"Well, you could always offer yourself as repayment," Roy joked, a sly grin on his face.
"Huh? You! What are youāwait, what are you suddenly saying!" Rin's face turned crimson as she sprang backward, raising her fists in a playful stance, clearly flustered.
"I'd also accept servitude, maybe something like a lifetime of loyalty," Roy added with a carefree smile.
"You're impossibleā¦" Rin sighed in defeat, her shoulders slumping.
The tension in her heart, wound up tight just moments ago, suddenly melted away.
"I'll think about it," she said, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear, cheeks still faintly red, as she turned to leave.
āāā
At the Aozaki residence.
"Lord Roy."
Roy had barely stepped into the house when Aizaka, wearing a serious expression, came forward to greet him.
"What's the matter?" Roy asked, handing her his coat.
"Are you thinking of returning home? I thought you hadn't finished teaching Shiha's maid lessons."
"No, it's not that."
Aizaka shook her head and pointed toward the living room.
"We have a guest... She says she's from the Aozaki family, and naturally, the barrier let her through. But neither I nor Shiha recognize her."
Someone from the Aozaki family has returned?
Roy, now wearing the slippers Aizaka handed him, suddenly froze mid-step upon hearing this.
Moments later, his eyes lit up, and he hurried eagerly into the living room.
Inside, there were two figures. One was Kasanagi Shiha, dressed in a neatly lined maid outfit, her long, straight black hair flowing behind her.
The other had fiery orange hair tied up in a spirited ponytail, and like Roy, she wore black-framed glasses. She looked about twenty-four or twenty-five, her face exuding a calm, mature elegance. Her every movement radiated intelligence and grace.
She was dressed in a simple shirt and pants, and Kasanagi Shiha quickly recognized who had once worn the white business suit she'd been borrowing.
Shiha glanced down, comparing her own figure to the woman's.
And she admitted defeat without hesitation.
āāāāāāāāāāāāā
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