Servants of Evil

The day continued and remained lively, whether it was the living or the spirits, the Masters or the Servants. Fine wine, exquisite cuisine, and entertainment schedules were in abundance. Everything was well-arranged, and the atmosphere felt delightful.

However, it was already the second day since the summoning of the Servants.

No enemies, no battles, and nothing at all. Could this truly be considered a Holy Grail War? Some were puzzled, some uneasy, while others remained indifferent. Certain individuals were preparing to inquire of those who might hold the truth.

For example, there's Kotomine Kirei, the Servant believed by some to be a Mage.

"This is quite extraordinary."

Facing his Master, Kirei spoke calmly, "One might say, truly worthy of Dragon Emperor? To have recruited even those ancient heroes under his banner."

"It was a bit of a misstep, wasn't it?" Kirei swirled his red wine with a touch of sarcasm, "My surprise attack only drew the opponent's attention, Master. Now there are six Servants amassed on the other side. No matter how you think about it, we can't win. So, what's the next move? Should we just give up, or futilely struggle on?"

Even if they were partners, even if he was his so-called Master, Kirei wouldn't hesitate to mock his Master when he was in a predicament.

"Don't be so shallow, Kirei."

What surprised Kirei was that even in such dire circumstances, his Master still seemed completely unconcerned and untroubled.

"Everything is within my plan."

"Everything? Including what I just mentioned?"

"Of course." Turning his head, he looked at Kirei, "Do you think that the Dragon Emperor having gathered all the Servants would guarantee victory? You're mistaken. Fortresses are always breached from the inside. Would those Servants willingly allow themselves to be used?"

"If the enemies were us all, I believe most of the Servants would."

"Hahaha... If we were truly so powerful that not uniting against us would be disastrous, then yes, they certainly would."

What slightly surprised Kirei was that his Master admitted to his point.

"I see, so because we're weak, we're underestimated, seen as insignificant. So they can't form that kind of unity... is this also part of your plan?"

"Exactly." Kirei's Master's voice grew louder, more resonant, and more joyful. "The Servants, the heroes who have gathered throughout history, which one among them is ordinary? And which one would willingly be controlled by the Dragon Emperor? Some of them might envy him."

Meanwhile, as Kirei's Master spoke those words, in another location atop a building, Gilgamesh tilted his head and gazed at the moon in the sky.

'All of my subjects are dead.' Gilgamesh thought to himself, 'And yet, his subjects have survived. Their bloodline continues to this day...'

"Bastard..."

Of course, Gilgamesh would never admit that he felt a sense of 'envy' to Artorius.

Both were people from the Age of Gods, both hailing from godly lands. However, his people were annihilated, and his nation was destroyed, while Artorius's, on the other hand, has endured to this day.

Don't care about the reason, don't care about the process, don't ask for the rationale. Simply look at it from the standpoint of results. There's only one conclusion.

The Dragon Emperor is stronger than him, more excellent, more successful, and superior.

Simply thinking about it that way, the poison called 'envy' would spread in his heart.

—Perhaps the young and innocent Gilgamesh wouldn't mind.

—Perhaps the old and mature Gilgamesh who has seen through everything wouldn't mind.

But the Gilgamesh who was caught in the middle of them, the proud, arrogant, believing himself peerless, with an extreme and sensitive personality—

He cared deeply.

===

"Some people, however, have desires that are too intense." Kirei's Master continued.

...

In a certain room, Iskandar set down the game controller in his hand.

"As expected, it's not enough." He mumbled to himself, "Compared to games and such, only the true battlefield can satisfy me."

"War, conquest, defeating enemies, plundering, bringing everything under my control, galloping between battlefields. That's what it means to be a true man. And now, the one who holds dominion over everything is that man."

The face of Dragon Emperor Artorius flashed before him.

"What I must do is stir up a new storm and seize everything from the rulers who currently control the world..."

"As for this alliance."

"United we stand, divided we fall."

"Serving the strong to subjugate the weak and strengthen oneself."

"Or uniting the weak to overthrow the strong and feast on their spoils... hmm..."

In stark contrast to his rugged appearance and muscle-head attitude, the overarching view of the King of Conquerors was sophisticated. His strategic vision and craftiness were unparalleled.

Relying solely on battle tactics and warfare wouldn't lead to constant victory.

At times, behind-the-scenes manipulation, verbal disputes, schemes, and chaos were more effective than armies.

===

"Some people feel discontented or unjustly treated." Kirei's Master continued.

...

"Why is this happening..."

Submerged in a bathtub, Mash clutched her own legs, curling up into a ball and grumbling.

"Summoned here for no reason. Treated roughly, then treated gently, and then treated as someone else. What's all this about..."

"Fou~" Nearby, Fou happily paddled in a doggy-paddle style.

"It would be nice to be like you, carefree and worry-free. So lucky..."

Mash muttered that way as she watched Fou. She was slightly envious.

"I really want to go back to Chaldea. I wonder how Senpai and the others are doing, can they find me..."

"Should I continue training tomorrow? Dealing with that ruthless senpai and his experiments on my body..."

===

"Some people hold unrealistic expectations of him." Kirei's Master continued.

...

In the room of Shuten-douji and Aozaki Touko.

"So, you've met the Dragon Emperor earlier?" Touko inquired the Oni.

"Not really. Although I've heard about him in the Throne of Heroes, this is the first time we've met."

"Then..."

Touko seemed a bit curious.

The gorgeous and attractive boy form of Artorius was undoubtedly a hot topic for them. However, Touko's attitude towards him was clearly different from Shuten's playful or flirtatious demeanor toward the usual pretty boy.

Touko's attitude towards Artorius, the Dragon Emperor, was one of respect.

Beyond respect, there was resentment and anticipation.

It seemed she anticipated the Dragon Emperor's attention and expected him to grant her something.

Touko wanted to ask again, but then she closed her mouth.

Because even if she asked, this Oni wouldn't answer her, at least not seriously.

Ignoring her own Master, Shuten closed her eyes and thought with delight.

'When unrealistic expectations can't be met, one will crumble. Same taste, same sensation, same majesty. That warmth and aura, just like 'Him'... Artorius Pendragon.'

'This is truly awesome. This Holy Grail War... could this be what I truly want? Fufufu...'

'Well, when described like this, it's certainly not wrong.'

===

"The other... perhaps might have some disagreements with the Dragon Emperor." Kirei's Master continued.

...

In the palace, after coaxing X, Artorius finally had an opportunity to visit Scathach's room.

Inside her room, he finally had the chance to ask a question.

"Teacher, why did you become a Heroic Spirit?"

It would be understandable if Scathach were like in the original, merely crafting a Saint Graph to pass the time in the Land of Shadows. But Artorius could clearly sense her situation.

She wasn't being trapped in the Land of Shadows, nor departing from it to manifest as an 'Empire's Heroic Spirit'. She was a genuine, the most normal, and accurate form of a Servant.

Derived from the Throne of Heroes. Summoned to this world, the aspect of a Heroic Spirit, a Lancer-class.

This might be ordinary for most Heroic Spirits, but for Scathach, who had already become a Divine Spirit, normality had turned into an anomaly.

"Ahh, I thought you wouldn't ask this question."

Scathach calmly addressed Artorius. Then, looking into his eyes, she answered word by word.

"Because, I, died." She said, "I died, and then became a Heroic Spirit. It's as simple as that."

"..."

The next moment, before Scathach could put on a tough facade, Artorius instantly embraced her directly.

"Teacher..."

He held Scathach tightly.

"I'm sorry..."

"..."

"You foolish disciple."

After a brief silence, Scathach gently responded to Artorius's words.

"Why apologize? You haven't done anything wrong."

As she spoke, Scathach also gently responded to Artorius's embrace, softly stroking his hair. Any traces of resentment and dissatisfaction that had arisen due to his prior lack of attention on her dissipated at this moment.

===

"We can even anticipate that some of them are just uncontrollable idiots. Simply causing trouble for others. They might even explode on their own without anyone caring." Kirei's Master continued.

...

"Achoo!"

In X's room, the so-called Mysterious Heroine X, who seemed to be tinkering with various mechanical components, suddenly sneezed loudly.

She had been diligently trying to create something related to the Servant Universe, and now she suspiciously looked around.

"I felt like someone was talking behind my back just now."

"Is it an evil god?"

"Evil god of Artoria Species?"

"Where? Where?!"

===

"Talking back and forth, everything is just your imagination..."

After his Master finished speaking, Kirei said those words and his smile turned increasingly ironic.

"Fantasizing that enemies will fall into chaos for various reasons and start killing each other, that's probably a dream only the lowest-caliber strategists would have."

"I see, so that's how you see it." Kirei's Master replied calmly.

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"Of course there is, but I don't bother arguing with you... come with me, Kirei."

"Where?"

Though he said that, Kirei still stood up. After all, the man in front of him was still his Master, so he had to show basic respect.

Thus, he followed behind, advancing deeper into the basement.

Kirei had tried to peer into this place before but without any results. Forcing his way in probably wouldn't end well. So even though he was curious, he had held back until now.

Was it to reassure him or to show off, Kirei couldn't tell what his Master was thinking. All he knew was that his doubts could be resolved soon.

The downward spiral staircase seemed endless. Besides the sound of shoes hitting the stone floor, there was nothing else around. In this stifling atmosphere, Kirei's Master spoke again.

"Kirei, you should understand better than anyone what a Servant is."

"A Servant is a facet of a Heroic Spirit..." Kirei said calmly. "It's an entity formed when a sliver of consciousness is projected from the Heroic Spirit seated in the Throne of Heroes, based on their legends and life experiences, and created according to the records of the Throne of Heroes."

"Yes, so you've probably heard of the 'Throne of Empire', haven't you?"

"I've heard a bit."

Kirei spoke calmly.

For those who were involved in the World of Magecraft, the 'Throne of Empire' was too famous. It stood as the Empire's proudest marvel, a symbol they could flaunt unabashedly, declaring—"This world is ours."

It represented the Empire's power, the most crucial instrument of control over the world.

It was an imitation of the 'Throne of Heroes'.

However, when compared to the multiverse and the universe-spanning concept of the 'Throne of Heroes' that encompassed all heroes from the past, present, future, parallel worlds, and both Earth and beyond, the Throne of Empire fell short by a considerable margin.

It did not encompass other parallel worlds or planets beyond Earth. It was merely a 'Throne' on the scale of a 'planet'.

"Yet, for those living on this planet, it's already a tremendous achievement." Kirei's Master spoke calmly and continued:

"With the acquisition of the 'Throne', the Empire's rule over the Earth became unbreakable. They possessed nearly inexhaustible manpower, the finest warriors at their disposal. The Empire could recklessly deploy their vast armies as they pleased, causing significant harm."

"Since the emergence of the Throne of Empire that's considered as a 'Miracle' surpassing 'Magecraft', the war between the empire and the vampires has essentially reached an undeniable conclusion."

"Vampires might win a thousand times, ten thousand times, even a million times, but when confronted with the Empire's boundless manpower, all the victories of the vampires became meaningless. It was not surprising for the vampires to be defeated."

"Whether True Ancestors, Dead Apostles, or any other various vampires—they all lost their chances. Human order became secure. Humanity's victory turned into a theorem. The dominance over the Earth by humanity became an unquestioned fact."

"Ahh, that's why you're staking everything—hoping to rewrite history through this Holy Grail War by killing the Dragon Emperor. In this era, no matter how hard you strive, you're no match for the Empire. And this is also because you know the truth of his summoning, right?" Kirei suddenly came to a realization.

"Yes, based on intelligence from our informant, I am aware that the Dragon Emperor is indeed a genuine one, summoned from the past. However, your reasoning is not entirely accurate."

Speaking thus, the Master and Servant stopped behind a door. Unlike the metallic door leading downward into a tunnel, or the opulent doors of a nightclub, this door had a futuristic touch, requiring iris recognition.

"Kirei... what are your thoughts on the magecraft of vampires?"

Standing before the grand door, Kirei's Master calmly inquired.

"Very strong." Kirei answered, "Of course, this assessment excludes the Empire."

Undoubtedly, vampires possessed power surpassing that of typical humans. Moreover, many talented mages, in their pursuit of eternal life, transformed themselves into Dead Apostles. From this perspective, the magecraft's strength of vampires on this planet was by no means weak.

"Then, what about the resources we have control over before the Empire completely crushes us?"

"Plenty." Kirei's response remained succinct.

As their conversation unfolded, the verification process at the grand door had already concluded.

Iris scans, fingerprints, passwords, passcodes—after layers of authentication, the doors finally opened.

The smell of blood, a tinge of darkness, fear, evil, and chaos, all rushed forth instantly. Even Kirei, who had lost his humanity and was akin to a beast of pleasure, couldn't help but be momentarily taken aback by this tumultuous mess.

Following closely was an intense ecstasy and euphoria.

"So..."

Amidst Kirei's excited trembling, his Master continued to speak calmly.

"Given our strong magecraft capabilities and abundant resources, not to mention that the Empire has provided us with ideas, we could even acquire some intelligence through certain secret methods. While we lack the core, it's still better than starting from scratch. Why shouldn't we achieve what the Empire can? Isn't that right, Kirei?"

"Because no Heroic Spirit would respond to the calls of you vampire scum." Kirei, his smile contorted by vibrancy, replied without hesitation.

Immediately after, Kirei's head was seized by something. It was inhuman, peculiar, and bizarre claws. The claws gripped his head tightly and forced him to face their owner, who was his Master.

Despite Kirei being a Servant, he found himself almost powerless before his Master.

"Some will..." Kirei's Master said as he forced Kirei to meet his gaze face-to-face.

The same contorted, excited, and delighted smile adorned the face of Kirei's Master. The Master figure, whose identity was that of an Ancestor of the Dead Apostles, said with glee:

"Some will indeed respond to our summoning. And they are like you, having completely abandoned their humanity, fully transforming into peculiar beasts, scum, and heretics!"

"They won't care about our identity as vampires; they will answer our call since their alignment is Chaotic Evil. Once we add Mad Enhancement as well as the Blackening attribute to their Saint Graphs and enhance these two attributes, we shall have our own Servants!"

He carried Kirei out, then turned Kirei's head to make him look at one side of the room.

"All of them are just like you—fallen, insane, irredeemable beasts! Your comrades, Kirei!"

There were six figures present.

Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, Berserker, Caster… along with Kirei as Assassin—seven in total.

These were the seven Servants of Evil summoned by the vampires.

Ignoring the almost bursting pain in his skull, Kirei laughed heartily in delight while his Master tossed him aside carelessly.

Kirei's Master raised his hands high, proclaiming loudly:

"Rejoice, you bunch of wretches."

"The era of vampires is about to dawn."