Summoning Rituals

'Curses...' Tokiomi gritted his teeth. 'I guess I have no other choice. Fortunately, I have the relic to summon a Heroic Spirit with me.'

Thinking this, Tokiomi breathed a sigh of relief.

'But if you think carefully, maybe it's a good idea. With the power of Servants, we can be safer. Is this why His Majesty decided to hold the Holy Grail War earlier?'

Tokiomi didn't even notice it himself, but unconsciously, he had already put himself in Artorius's shoes, coming up with reasons for him.

This was probably the Stockholm Syndrome caused by the inability to resist and only being able to enjoy.

With these thoughts in mind, Tokiomi turned around and went back to his own room.

===

After more than half an hour.

"Damn it, I got airsick."

Waver felt dizzy as he stepped off the plane at Tokyo International Airport. The dizziness intensified the pain on the back of his hand, where the crimson Command Spells were etched.

All he wanted now was to find a place to lie down and get a good rest. He would recover his strength and then devise a strategy. He would fool around for a while until his Servant went down the drain. After that, he'd return to the Clock Tower.

Under the Empire's surveillance, the Holy Grail War would surely not lead to casualties. So, Waver was relatively safe.

'Come to think of it, participating in the Holy Grail War doesn't seem like such a bad thing.'

Holding his luggage, Waver walked to the smoking area, took out a cigar, lit it, and squatted down.

'If I play it smart, won't it be like having a vacation?'

'It seems Professor Kayneth isn't such a devil after all.'

Thinking this way, Waver's heart warmed, and his fondness for Kayneth increased by +1.

Then, the next second his phone rang.

"What's the matter, Professor Kayneth?" Waver opened his phone and answered the call, looking puzzled.

"I forgot to tell you something earlier, Waver."

"What is it?"

"I've sent you all the files you need to handle in the next few days to your email. You can take care of those while participating in the Holy Grail War."

"..."

Just as he was about to protest, Waver was interrupted by Kayneth, who said, "This is an order and can't be negotiated, Waver. Also..."

"...Also?"

"Good luck."

"..."

After saying those words, Kayneth hung up, leaving Waver dumbfounded.

"Damn it, that asshole!"

Waver raised his hand in frustration, wanting to throw his phone to the ground—of course, he hesitated and didn't do it in the end. He couldn't afford to replace a broken phone because he wasn't good at managing his finances, and he didn't come from a wealthy family. His life was pretty tight financially, and damaging his phone would hurt.

"To think he's exploiting me like this..."

The slight relief from airsickness worsened, and the debuffs stacked up high, almost taking half of his life away.

But then...

"Are you Waver Velvet?"

Hearing a voice, Waver looked up and exchanged glances with two men who looked quite cheerful and were wearing high-end suits.

"Yes... and you are..."

"We are employees of the Imperial Mystery Bureau, and here are our credentials."

"Oh, I see. Then..."

"Now, the Empire has an important task for you—the Holy Grail War has started prematurely. Please take out your relic and summon your Servant."

"Sorry??? Wait, I just got off the plane. My airsickness hasn't gone away yet. Besides, I just received a call from my teacher, and he's treating me like a ruthless supervisor treats their intern, and then there's—"

"Please take out your relic and summon your Servant."

The other party calmly repeated the words from earlier nonchalantly like a robot, and the seriousness in the tone made Waver gulp nervously.

Afterward, he noticed that these two individuals referred to themselves as employees of the Imperial Mystery Bureau. Their status was likely genuine, but they were not ordinary staff that mages typically encountered. They were Inquisitors of the Judgment Hall.

They wore the abstract emblem of Dragonflame Witchhunters on their chests, which indicated that they were members of the 'Judgement Hall Inquisitors', a specialized judiciary dedicated to dealing with Rogue Mages or any human enemy of the Empire.

They burned witches in Europe, Nganga witches in Africa, shamans who practiced Voodoo, Buddhist monks who used black magic in Southeast Asia, and murderers with twisted impulses in Japan. They also purged monks spreading heresy and strange hybrids born from the union of humans and foreign creatures.

In short, they hunted down all the 'humans' in the world of magecraft who were enemies of humanity and the Empire.

Despite the Empire's external propaganda that depicted them as heroes of the Empire, the backbone of humanity, fighting on the frontline against evil-doers, Waver couldn't help but think, 'If I don't cooperate, will they use a Dragonflame Purifier on me and turn me into charcoal?'

With that thought in mind, Waver swallowed hard and obediently took out the fragments of textiles from the purple sandalwood box. Then came a series of required items, the most important of which was a magical energy crystallization known as the Dragon Crystal, the Empire's next-generation magical energy crystallization.

===

At the same time.

"A~ah, this is such a hassle."

The person who sighed like this was Aozaki Touko.

Almost simultaneously, another inquisitor appeared before this freelance mage, giving her the same command as Waver.

Though Touko was annoyed and wanted to tell them—"I'm not one of you, you have no right to order me around," doing so would probably lead to a desperate situation.

If it were only a matter of life and death, it would be tolerable. But the problem was, she was quite a beauty—at least that's how she perceived herself. So the likely outcome... would be to be forced to serve as a weapon for that Evil Dragon Emperor.

Being quite experienced in the world of magecraft, she was aware of many secrets, including the fact that the Dragon Emperor still existed and was alive and dandy.

Combining this with the legend of several generations of emperors in the Empire, Touko felt weak in the knees.

Though she was not young anymore, she never thought about pursuing a romantic relationship with anyone. Even if it came to that, she only wanted to quietly adopt a cute young boy and raise him. Falling in love was definitely out of the question.

For her own future happiness and to seek revenge against her foolish sister, she knew she had to comply.

'Hahh... I can only do as they say.'

With this thought in mind, the woman with wine-red long hair, wearing a deep green qipao and black stockings, took out her own relic.

No, calling it a 'relic' seemed a bit delicate. After all, the being she was about to summon was rather vile, fearsome, and a villain in all legends.

It was a blue glass gourd-shaped sake container that seemed oddly discordant. This was Touko's relic.

She was going to summon a notorious 'Oni' well-known in Japan, a powerful Oni called 'Shuten-douji.'

'At least we can bond over our fondness for pretty and handsome boys.'

With this thought in her heart, Touko began chanting the incantation.

===

At the same time, in front of a well-prepared magic circle, Bazett paused for a moment before putting back the relic that represented the Knights of the Round Table, which had been given to her. She then took off her earrings while Caren looked on with some confusion.

"Everyone in the Knights of the Round Table is a hero, of course..." Partly speaking to herself and partly explaining to Caren, Bazett said, "But if possible, I want to summon someone else."

"Someone else... hmm, someone related to your family? Or a knight active in other regions of Ireland?"

"It's... Cu Chulainn."

After a brief hesitation, considering that she was about to summon the person anyway, Bazett decided not to lie.

"I've been his admirer since I was little, so in this Holy Grail War, I want to give it a try."

"Well, then, good luck to you. And if you end up being held responsible for this, don't blame me for not warning you."

Caren's light words brought a relaxed smile to Bazett's face.

If getting scolded could lead to the realization of her dream since childhood, then this deal was definitely worth it.

===

At the same time.

"Ooohhh!!!"

While some people were preparing to summon their Servants and others were in the process of summoning, one person had already completed the summoning. When a knight in purple armor, majestic and imposing, appeared before Rudolf, his emotions reached their peak.

Success!

He had indeed succeeded!

Using the relic, along with his unwavering belief and his fervent admiration for the Heroic Spirits of the Knights of the Round Table, he had successfully summoned the Dragon Emperor's close friend, the great knight who infected the Dragon Emperor with his light, warmth, dedication, and loyalty.

Artorius's best friend, the Knight of the Grail, Galahad!

"Truly deserves to be the Knight of the Grail, the chest muscles are well developed..." Rudolf praised, intending to build a good relationship with his Servant.

"Eh???"

===

"Hmph..."

In stark contrast to Rudolf's feverish excitement, Tokiomi couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.

Before him stood a young, rebellious man wearing golden armor and sporting a wild mop of hair. He was at a loss for words.

'Curses, can someone tell me what's going on?! Isn't he King of Heroes, Gilgamesh?!'

While King Gilgamesh was indeed a formidable Heroic Spirit, even rumored to be a half-god and half-human, he was a king from a foreign land who ultimately rebelled against the gods. Tokiomi couldn't bear the thought of what might happen when such a character interacts with the Dragon Emperor.

Tokiomi had just made the decision to align with the Empire and even use this Holy Grail War to establish a good relationship with the Dragon Emperor. And now, this happened! Is the Throne of Heroes messing with him?

'My relic was supposed to summon the legendary Enkidu! I used the legendary clay that created Enkidu! So why did I end up summoning King Gilgamesh?!'

'Ended, I will die, I will die, I will die...'

"So, you're my Master, huh? You look like a boring and ordinary mongrel."

As Tokiomi internally screamed, the shining Gilgamesh, with his golden short hair and golden armor, evaluated his Master in this manner, looking displeased.

'Trash, everything is trash. This world remains unchanged as always, everything is rubbish, mediocrity, and debris.' Gilgamesh said with disgust inside his mind.

The so-called progress in technology, social systems, production, the relationship between production and labor, philosophy, science, medicine, and transportation—all of it seemed meaningless in Gilgamesh's eyes.

In his view, the essence of the human world was stagnant, and all humans appeared as mediocrities. They constructed their cities using borrowed knowledge and blindly hailed it as civilization.

Everything seemed devoid of meaning, everything appeared as mere rubbish, whether it was destruction, creation, or anything else; none held any significance.

"Speak."

The arrogant king immediately took Tokiomi's place without hesitation, sitting comfortably and giving orders, "How is the Holy Grail War going, Tokiomi?"

"That... um..."

Tokiomi instinctively wanted to say—"The Holy Grail War is none of your concern. I suggest you go back where you came from." But in the end, he couldn't say it.

Because he was afraid that Gilgamesh would split him in half in an instant.

===

At the same time.

"..."

"Are you... Cu Chulainn?"

In Bazett's room, the summoning had also been completed. However, the situation was a bit different from what Bazett had expected.

The crimson spear indeed looked like the legendary Gae Bolg. The tight leather outfit also resembled the attire of ancient Celtic warriors.

But the problem was...

'Could someone tell me, is Cu Chulainn actually a woman?!'

And moreover, a stunning beauty with wine-red long hair and an explosive figure?!

"If you were expecting Cu Chulainn, I'm sorry to disappoint you. I'm not that foolish boy."

The breathtaking beauty with a graceful figure smiled and spoke to the young child before her.

"..."

"...Right."

Through the bond between Master and Servant, Bazett quickly confirmed the identity of the person she had summoned.

It wasn't Cu Chulainn; instead, it was Cu Chulainn's mentor and a powerful female warrior named Scathach.

Realizing that she had summoned such a powerful figure, Bazett didn't know whether to be happy or upset.

===

"Guhahaha, Eumenes, we meet again! Is this fate's arrangement?!"

In front of Waver, there stood a burly man with a hearty smile and an excessively big physique. He was laughing heartily and patting Waver's shoulders enthusiastically, almost causing Waver, who looked fine on the surface but was actually out of shape due to irregular schedules and lack of exercise, to vomit.

Observing the scene, the two Inquisitors quietly left. Now, only Waver and the boisterous man remained.

This guy was Iskandar—Alexander the Great.

He had single-handedly undertaken the most magnificent expedition of classical times, conquering countless lands, nations, and even the hearts of people—a terrifying 'King of Conquerors.'

However, at this moment, he looked no different from those overenthusiastic uncles at the gym.

*Cough, Cough...*

As Waver forcibly suppressed the urge to vomit, he protested loudly, "Stop, stop—I'm not Eumenes, look properly! I'm your Master!"

"Eh? Is that so?"

If Waver made eye contact with the man in front of him at this moment, he would have noticed a deep meaning in the man's eyes. However, Waver was practically collapsing now, so he didn't have the energy to pay attention to that.

Therefore...

"I see, I mistook you for someone else. But kid, you look almost identical to my closest friend, Eumenes. Your aura is quite similar too. It's no wonder I made a mistake, Guhahahaha!"

He continued to laugh merrily and pat Waver's back.

As a result, Waver really did vomit.

"Your lack of exercise remains as usual, Master."

===

"Ahh, the Holy Grail War~ But you know what, I'd rather throw a party. Fine sake, delicious food, and mesmerizing performances. And of course, a gathering of handsome guys, Master~"

Shuten-douji, although she appeared to be a young girl, the way she spoke was that of the famed sake connoisseur.

Touko couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

"If only I could live such a carefree life too..." Touko sighed with disappointment. "Doing nothing but enjoying the company of pretty boys..."

"Why not do it then, Master~?"

"That's..."

Touko hesitated, wanting to explain herself, but after uttering a single word, she decided against it.

'Am I really foolish enough to explain it to her?'

Despite Shuten's overwhelming cuteness, enough to double and redouble any Lolicon's affection, the truth was that Touko had summoned a monstrous being.

Shuten's logic and thought processes were entirely different from humans, so trying to explain the need for work, life, or order would be utterly futile.

Initially, upon seeing her with her purple bangs and beautiful kimono, Touko was captivated and responded instinctively.

But now...

Touko remained silent, turning around to retrieve the sake she had prepared beforehand. "Would you like some?"

"Of course~ Master, you really know how to live a life~"

With alcohol in sight, Shuten promptly forgot about their earlier conversation.

It was just a casual remark, success or failure hardly mattered. Instead of pondering over such troublesome matters, they should act quickly and seek new 'happiness.'

'The Holy Grail War might be unexpectedly entertaining...' Shuten thought joyfully as she started to feel the effects of the alcohol.

===

And so that was how it went.

Within fifteen minutes, the five Masters within the Empire's grasp had all completed their summonings.

The Zolgen family, Rudolf Zolgen, summoned the Knight of the Grail, 'Galahad'.

The Tohsaka family, Tohsaka Tokiomi, mistakenly summoned the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh.

The Clock Tower, Waver Velvet, summoned the King of Conquerors, Iskandar.

The Imperial Guard, Bazett Fraga McRemitz, summoned the Queen of the Land of Shadows, Scathach.

The Freelance Mage, Aozaki Touko, summoned the legendary Oni, Shuten-douji.

The Einzbern family, Emiya Kiritsugu, summoned the Dragon Emperor, Artorius Pendragon.

Now, the Empire's side had assembled six Heroic Spirits.

Slightly different from the traditional Holy Grail War, 'Galahad' was a Shielder, Iskandar a Rider, Gilgamesh an Archer, Scathach a Lancer, Shuten-douji a Berserker, and Artorius an Assassin.

Currently, 'Kotomine Kirei', who hadn't shown himself, could be assumed to be a Caster, surely not a Saber.

Six out of the seven Heroic Spirits of the Holy Grail War had made an appearance, and six of the seven Masters had been located.

This left only one Master who had yet to reveal themselves and evaded the Empire's official search—the alchemist named Zepia Eltnam Oberon. Though, in this timeline, he was known as Zepia Eltnam Atlasia.

But...

'Is it really that straightforward?'

After receiving Iri's report and everything proceeded according to Artorius's plan, he once again fell into contemplation.

He had a feeling that things weren't that simple.

He had a hunch that there was a greater conspiracy at play.

Today, Artorius, while fondling the maid's breast as always, seriously contemplated matters related to the rise and fall of the Empire and the fate of humanity.

'But it should be fine...' He said in his mind after a while, dismissing those thoughts.

After all, he had six Heroic Spirits under his command.

Six against one. How could he lose? How could the Dragon Emperor face defeat?

'Next, it's time to meet my Servants.'

Although Artorius still didn't know who they were, he instinctively placed himself in the position of their monarch.