[79] Maiya Hisau's Unexpected Visit to the Convention

The more Maiya Hisau walked, the more uneasy she felt.

There were too many people around dressed strangely!

That person in a knight's armor with golden wig... at first glance, it looked like a woman, but as soon as they spoke, that deep and masculine voice gave it away. Definitely a man!

Then there was the guy next to them with a face covered in red paint, and he had already dropped a couple of pieces while walking.

He picked them up and complained to his companion.

And what about that person in a full-body golden armor? Isn't it tiring to walk like that? Is it made of plastic?

What's going on with the development of Fuyuki City? She hadn't been here for three or four years, and it had changed so much?

Suddenly, she saw someone who looked a bit familiar—

"Kiritsugu?"

The person she called Kiritsugu was taken aback for a moment, then turned to look at her and brightened up. "Wow, you're really good! You're cosplaying as Maiya Hisau, right?"

It wasn't Kiritsugu... although the appearance seemed to mimic him deliberately, the previous call was just a result of being momentarily distracted by the surroundings. But in reality, there were significant differences between the two, the most significant being their demeanor and gaze. However, why did he mention her name?

Maiya Hisau was an assassin.

Although not on the same level as Emiya Kiritsugu, she was still an assassin... She didn't know what was going on now, but—

The person in front of her, who seemed to be deliberately impersonating Emiya Kiritsugu, seemed to know her name and even believed she was cosplaying as Maiya Hisau!

"It's okay..." Maiya Hisau said, looking at the others on the street as if she had just remembered something. "Where is it located?"

"We're almost there, just cross this street, or... should we go together?" The person cosplaying as Emiya Kiritsugu said, it would be quite an honor to go with this young lady.

"Yeah... sure," Maiya Hisau nodded. She didn't know what was going on, but one thing seemed certain now.

All these people in bizarre costumes on the street were heading to the same place, which they referred to as some kind of "convention."

She needed to investigate this thoroughly, figure out what was happening in Fuyuki City. Why was she recognized just by walking on the street? Why were people impersonating Emiya Kiritsugu?

She had a premonition that this might be the most important thing about her trip to Fuyuki City this time!

Following the young man cosplaying as "Emiya Kiritsugu," Maiya Hisau collected information silently while walking, even though she hadn't said anything. The young man had already shared his name and age in one breath... Maiya Hisau remained silent, quietly gathering intelligence.

And then, they finally arrived at their destination.

Above the entrance, there was a massive sign that read "[Fate/Zero]." On both sides, there were giant posters. She found one that depicted a man who looked remarkably like Emiya Kiritsugu.

And then, there were these words: "Holy Grail War"!

Those words pierced her eyes like a dagger. Somehow, the Holy Grail War was now widely known in this city. What about the local authorities? How could they let such a thing happen?

Although it had been some time since this manga was targeted by the Matou Zouken, he still couldn't do anything about such a widespread situation like this now.

After all, now this "[Fate/Zero]" has already spread throughout all of Japan, and it's even spreading worldwide! Even he is powerless in the face of this.

As for why Matou Zouken hasn't targeted the Tohsaka family?

Because that person has also realized that something is amiss in the current Fuyuki City. They've long gone to prepare for what is likely to be the final Holy Grail War!

...

Over here, Maiya Hisau felt colder as she looked around...

The Holy Grail War seemed to be widely acknowledged in this land already. Not only that, the Fourth Holy Grail War, which should not have happened yet, seemed to be known to everyone, including the participating magus.

Who had summoned which Heroic Spirits, it all seemed to be common knowledge.

Afterward, she learned that all of this stemmed from a manga called "[Fate/Zero]."

Now, Fuyuki Bridge, the warehouse district, the Ryuudou Temple, and others... had all become famous landmarks in Fuyuki City.

Only the Tohsaka and Matou families had not been found and were considered fictional.

Others...

Where were they going to hold the Holy Grail War?

Especially at night, there were even more people at these places! Some took pictures, others enjoyed the sights.

Fuyuki City's population had increased dramatically. How were they going to hold the Holy Grail War with so many people? No matter where they went, there were crowds.

How could they possibly fight the Holy Grail War like this?

Even the forest near Fuyuki City was said to have people frequently running over, hoping to find the Castle of Einzbern...

After returning to her hotel, Maiya Hisau spent a whole day reading through the manga called "[Fate/Zero]!"

"Kiritsugu..."

Maiya Hisau's gaze was complicated, and then... she took a deep breath. "No, the Holy Grail War is about to begin. I must tell Kiritsugu immediately! Before that, I must ensure he is prepared!"

Should she continue with the Holy Grail War, or should she give it up?

After all, if what was depicted in the manga was true, there was no longer any need to participate in the Holy Grail War. It would be better to run away with his wife and child... the farther, the better.

Maiya Hisau didn't care about these things. Whatever Kiritsugu's goal was, she would follow it to the end!

...

London

The Clock Tower.

As a world-renowned magical organization, it attracted a large number of magus, each with their own hobbies and interests.

Among them—

Of course, there were those who liked manga.

"It's finally here, '[Fate/Zero]'!" Bobby said as he looked at the manga in his hand.

He was a student at the Clock Tower, but that didn't mean he didn't have his own hobbies.

Especially for this manga, it contained descriptions of the Clock Tower, the Holy Grail War, the Root, magecraft, and various other details that a significant portion of magus didn't know.

Who could draw such a manga had to be a respected figure in the mystical world.

He had previously only read bits and pieces, but now he finally had the complete manga in hand and could read it thoroughly.

He had purchased all volumes of [Fate/Zero], [Fate/Zero: Sequel], and the first volume of [Fate/Stay Night] that were available on the market!

"Oh, right, Professor Kayneth's class is about to start soon. I have to hurry!"

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