Behind the scenes

A little earlier.

'How could this happen?"

Waver clutched his head with his hands, remembering his shameful behavior from half an hour ago. No matter how strong the Servant is, when he enters into a contract, he must honor it. As the Master, Waver should be in charge of their team.

Servant Rider was definitely strong. This is an irrefutable fact given the history of the artifact stolen from Kayneth.

Heroic Soul, Iskander. Also known as Alexander or Alexandros. The reason he was known by several names was because of the different pronunciations in the lands he conquered. But in all these lands he was known as the "King of Conquerors". Having ascended the throne of Macedonia at the age of twenty, he led the army of Ancient Greece to Persia, through Egypt to Western India, and during his "Eastern Companies" for 10 years became a hero. He was literally a "great king", whose reign was associated with the peak of the greatness of the Hellenic civilization.

But, despite all his greatness, if he was called as a Servant, he could not disobey the Master. The Master is the reason why the Servant stays in this world, and he is dependent on Waver. If Waver stops supplying him with magical energy, then he will have no choice but to disappear.

The reason why all the Servants respond to the call of the Masters and participate with them in the War is simple - the Servants also need the Grail. To get the wish-granting machine, they fight until there is only one Servant left. Together they will acquire the Holy Grail. In other words, cooperation between Servant and Master is natural.

Moreover, the Masters have a trump card called Command Spells.

Three spells can be used as three absolute orders. This determines the nature of the relationship between Servant and Master. A servant cannot resist a Command Spell's order, even if that order is irrational, such as self-destruct. This is the main point of the conscription system that the Makiri family has formed.

Suddenly, while Waver was thinking, a sharp sound broke the silence of the park.

"Hah?!"

Jumping up in surprise, he turned around and saw that one of the library's closed doors had been opened, or rather blown off its hinges. And the only one who came out calmly was Waver Velvet's Servant, Rider.

Up to this point, Waver had only seen him in the dark grove. Now, with the moonlight shining on him, the Master could truly appreciate the appearance of his Servant.

His height exceeded two meters. Arms and thighs unprotected by armor seemed to grow out of a bronze shell. There were so many muscles in the body that it seemed that he could kill a bear with his bare hands. All this was accompanied by glowing eyes like red-hot iron, fiery red hair and a short beard. The thick robe was the same red as the bracelets on her arms. By the standards of his time, he was richly dressed and looked like a man who came out of the museum, dressed in ancient armor.

Such a big man against the background of a modern library is a ridiculous combination, but Waver did not pay attention to it, as the shrill screaming alarm almost made him run away from here as fast as he could.

"Idiot! Fool, fool, fool! What were you thinking, kicking down the door like that?! Why didn't you come out in ghost form the way you entered?!"

Rider smiled strangely and showed two books to the raging Waver.

"I couldn't take them if I was in ghost form, could I?"

One book was thick-covered, the other thin-covered. Of course, Ryder took them from the library. But his Master couldn't afford to be caught for disorderly conduct and theft to boot.

"Don't slow down! Run! We need to run!"

"Your anxiety looks vile. You act like a thief."

"We are the thieves!!!"

The fright in Waver's voice surprised Rider.

"You are greatly mistaken. Those who escape under the cover of night are thieves. Majestic and slow to leave, this is how the King of Conquerors does after looting."

"It's useless to argue with him," Waver realized, clutching his head. In any case, Ryder was definitely going to walk from the library all the way to his house with two books in hand, like some suspicious cosplayer. Moreover, without going into a ghostly form.

Having come to this conclusion, Waver ran up to Rider and snatched the books out of his hands.

"Satisfied?! Now disappear! Let's disappear! Immediately!!!"

"Oh, okay, then I'll leave it to you. And you shouldn't have said it three times."

Satisfied, Rider returned to his ghostly form.

But Waver didn't feel better. The alarm system in the library could attract the attention of the park guards. It is not known how long they will remain inactive.

What the hell, what's the difference?

"Ahhh… damn! How-could-this-have-happened?!"

Waver did not know how many times during the night he repeated this phrase, but he ran as if the devil himself was chasing him.

From the castle window, a pair of green eyes watched the father and daughter playing near the forest.

The girl sitting by the window did not look weak or frivolous. Her blond hair was bright and soft, and she wore an old-fashioned dress that showed off her slender body; it certainly fit the image of the princess trapped in the tower, but her very presence made the atmosphere a little tense, and anyone in the same room with her would get chills. But unlike the cold of ice, this cold was comparable to the purest mountain river. She was the only one who did not fit into the picture of the melancholy castle of the Einzbern family.

"What are you looking at, Saber?"

The girl at the window—Saber—turned around at Irisviel's call.

"Kiritsugu and your daughter are playing outside."

Even when she looked doubtful and puzzled, even when she frowned thoughtfully, it did not affect her beauty in any way. There is almost no fun in her smile, she radiates a transparent calm, which also suits her - such beauty was very rare these days.

Can you believe that this young and lively girl is the materialized soul of the Hero? But she was definitely a Saber-class Servant. She was one of the seven Heroic Spirits summoned by the Grail, the strongest sword-wielding Servant.

Walking up to her, Irisviel looked out the window. Just at that moment, Kiritsugu was walking quickly into the forest, carrying Ilyasviel on his shoulders.

"You're surprised to see Kiritsugu like this, aren't you?"

Saber nodded to the smiling Irisviel.

From her position, she couldn't see the little girl's face, only her snow-white hair that she had inherited from her mother, but Saber heard Illyasviel's clear voice as they disappeared from her field of vision. But it was enough to understand the daughter enjoys the time she spends with her father.

"To be honest, I felt like my Master was a colder person."

Hearing Saber's words, Irisviel smiled shyly.

"Well, it's not without reason."

From the moment she was summoned, Kiritsugu didn't say a word to Saber.

After all, Servants are just a means to an end for the Masters, and that's exactly how Hero wizards use them. However, Kiritsugu's behavior was beyond Saber's understanding. By not speaking to her, ignoring her questions, and simply not looking at her, Kiritsugu erected a wall of indifference between himself and the Servant he himself summoned.

Even though she didn't show it, Saber was very disappointed with the man's behavior. And the Kiritsugu she knew was definitely different from the person who played in the forest with her daughter.

"If this is Kiritsugu's real face, then I should have done something to upset my Master..."

As soon as she said that, Irisviel chuckled softly; for a moment, her offended face showed the Servant's true emotions, which were usually hidden deep inside under a calm smile. A pronounced resentment.

"There's nothing funny here, Irisviel."

"Forgive me. I wanted to know... Are you still offended by what happened after the call?"

"A little. I understand that I am not at all what you expected when summoning the 'King of Knights'. But that shouldn't have surprised you so much."

Despite her majestic dignity, Saber looked like she had just passed out of her teenage years. When she appeared in a puff of white smoke in the summoning circle, Kiritsugu and Irisviel simply fell into a stupor.

It was a normal reaction. After all, the Hero, whom Kiritsugu called, according to all the chronicles, was a man. The owner of a golden scabbard found in Cornwall, one who was also known as the owner of the sacred sword Excalibur. And no one could even imagine that in fact Arthur Pendragon is a girl.

"Of course, I behaved like a man, and I wanted it to go through the whole story ... but it's unpleasant for me to realize that someone doubts that I really am the owner of this scabbard."

"Even though you say this, doubts are inevitable. Your legend is very famous, and it has been discussed for about 15 centuries. Your appearance was comparable to shock, as you are so different from the appearance that history has created."

Irisviel smiled awkwardly, and Saber let out a frustrated sigh.

"Of course, you would like to know why I look like that. When I pulled the sword from the stone, thanks to Magic, I stopped growing up, retaining my youth. My knights and soldiers did not ask this question, because I was a king. I was required to do the king's duty."

How cruel youth can be...

The Kingdom of Britain found itself defenseless against the invasion of the pagans and was drowning in an abyss of destruction. Following the predictions of the Magician, the young king, the "Incarnation of the Dragon", carried the burden of a savior on his shoulders and was invulnerable for 10 or even 20 years of battles.

Despite all the exploits, it was a sick and doomed ruler, whose throne was taken by the one in whom his own blood flowed. He was betrayed and unforgiven for putting an end to the glory of the traitors.

The realization that such a tender girl was forced to lead such a cruel and painful life hung like a stone in Irisviel's soul.

"Kiritsugu... hates me for being a woman? Because I'm not worthy to carry a sword?"

The sight of Saber who said this in a dry voice as she watched Kiritsugu disappear behind the tree branches touched Irisviel's heart.

"That's not right. He understands your power. He's not stupid enough to underestimate a Saber-class Servant. There must be another reason that made him angry."

"Angry?" Saber repeated Irisviel's words. "You mean I made Kiritsugu angry? I don't understand. I didn't even get a chance to talk to him properly."

"Then it might be something that isn't directly related to you. What he's angry about is the way the Arthurian legend came down to us."

If the Hero that Kiritsugu would summon was a "grown man" according to the legend, then perhaps he wouldn't be so hard on his Servant. For him, who keeps his feelings under the strictest control, discussions would simply be reduced to the necessary minimum. Then his fearless equanimity would have had the maximum emotional effect on the Servant.

But the one who drew the sword from the stone was a girl, and this truth became the source of Kiritsugu's resentment towards the legend.

"He is angry at the people of that era who were around you. At the cruelty with which they placed the duties of a king on a girl."

"That's not the point. I was ready for this from the moment I drew my sword,"

Saber replied without hesitation. Her voice was calm and cold.

Worried, Irisviel gave a short nod.

"The fact that you accepted your fate like that provokes him even more. Perhaps that is why he is angry at you, a girl named Arturia."

"…"

Saber lowered her gaze, unable to find an answer. But when she looked up again, there was the same stubbornness in them.

"It's too emotional. In my time, no one would express dissatisfaction with those who made their decision."

"That's why he's silent."

In response, Saber said hesitantly.

"Emiya Kiritsugu and Heroic Spirit Artoria are completely incompatible – let's leave it like that. If we talk to each other, we will only deny each other's existence."

Irisviel could only agree with this conclusion. If Kiritsugu spent time around this proud Heroic Spirit, he would always feel like he was around someone who didn't understand him at all.

Irisviel understood their displeasure, both Master and Servant, and sympathized with both. These two will never come to an agreement - such was the conclusion of the resigned Irisviel.

"…Thank you, Irisviel. Without a woman like you, I would have lost the Holy Grail War without even starting a fight."

"And thank you. I want my husband to be the only one to reach the Grail."

"Irisviel, what kind of person is Kiritsugu in your opinion?"

"He's my husband. The one who gave me the meaning of the word life... but that's not what you want to know, is it?"

Saber nodded. She didn't want to hear Irisviel's opinion, but about a side of Kiritsugu Emiya's life that Saber didn't know about.

"Actually, he is a very kind person. And just because he is very kind, he cannot forgive the world for its cruelty. Therefore, he decided to become even more cruel and cold-blooded in order to fight against the cruelty of the world."

"I understand this kind of determination. Being in a position like this, refusing all emotions will be the most appropriate."

Looking from the outside, one cannot help saying that in this aspect, Kiritsugu and Saber were very similar. Perhaps it was because the Heroic Spirit King Arthur looked so much like him that Kiritsugu had a dislike for him.

"Saving the world with the power of the Grail - is that what you mean? What do you and Kiritsugu desire?"

"Yes. My desire is only a reflection of his desire. But I believe that this desire is worthy of risking my life."

Simultaneously with Irisviel's words, Saber nodded and her eyes blazed with green flames.

"The wish for which I want to get the Grail is similar to yours. I want to help Britain, but I can't do it myself. I think that what you and Kiritsugu wish is right. Those who follow this path should definitely feel proud."

"Indeed..." Irisviel replied with a smile.

Pride is definitely a problem.

Her husband's words resurfaced in Irisviel's memory. The real reason why Kiritsugu acted so unusually.

"You two will be reapers on the battlefield. Not running or hiding, shining so that no one could take their eyes off Saber's Servant. Because those who look at Saber will have their backs to me."

Kiritsugu had no intention of abandoning all the battles between Irisviel and Saber. On the contrary, he intended to change the course of the War in a direction convenient for himself. He will be a killer who sneaks behind the backs of enemies, and Saber will have the role of a decoy in a trap.

Irisviel couldn't say anything, but it was clear what methods Kiritsugu would adopt when the War began. "What will the proud and honest knight think after all this…" Irisviel was greatly worried as she thought about it.

"Irisviel, you understand your husband very well and believe in him."

Unaware of Irisviel's melancholy, Saber simply watched from the window as her father and daughter walked through the forest.

"...So you won't resent him anymore?"

"Of course I won't." Saber nodded with a gentle smile, and Irisviel felt like she was betraying the Servant.

"But, Irisviel, is it okay to say things like that to me?"

"Eh?"

Saber's questioning look again seemed to ask Irisviel to tell more.

"I mean, you, like Kiritsugu, will have to leave your daughter behind. We're flying to Japan tomorrow for the Grail?"

"Ah, that's... it's all right. I won't leave my daughter."

Irisviel smiled peacefully, expressing gratitude for Saber's concern, but there was a strange loneliness to her smile.

"If I cease to exist as Irisviel, it doesn't mean that I will disappear. When she grows up, I'm sure she will understand. Because she is a woman from the Einzbern family, just like me."

- ...

She was unable to understand the meaning of Irisviel's mysterious words, but Saber's face hardened as she sensed something ominous behind those words.

"Irisviel, you will survive. I will protect you to the very end. I swear on my sword."

The expression "even the trees sleep at one in the morning" certainly did not apply to Servants and wizards.

The Heroic Soul of the Shadow, Assassin, was best suited to hide in the blackness of the night.

From the moment magicians began to gather in Fuyuki City, his surveillance had a dual purpose. On the hill of Old Miyama City, the residences of the Mato and Tohsaka families sparkled with their splendor.

Masters seeking to acquire the Grail, the two landowners used lower level familiars day and night to patrol the perimeter of the estates. After all, the owner of the estate must be ready for any surprises and place security and protection systems throughout the residence. Even inside: it was to become a magical citadel.

It was absolutely safe for a Servant who possessed a huge amount of magical energy to enter the scope of the security system. But in essence, even if the Servant was in a ghostly form, it was completely impossible to slip into the manor through all the security systems unnoticed.

However, the impossible could be done. Hiding Presence was an Assassin class ability. When he wasn't using his power to fight, the Assassin was able to reduce his magical energy output to near zero in order to slip through the shadows and reach his goal.

In addition, for the Assassin, Servant of Kotomine Kirei, this operation promised to be especially easy. The garden he was sneaking into wasn't on the Mato family's estate, which meant he would be in enemy territory. This was the estate of Tohsaka Tokiomi, an ally of Master Kirei until yesterday. Of course, Assassin agreed with Kirei and Tokiomi to mislead the other Masters and keep their collaboration a secret. Under a secret agreement, he protected the Tohsaka family estate countless times. By remembering the location of all the defense systems, he knew where he could slip in unnoticed.

While in ghost form, Assassin passed through many security systems without any difficulty, chuckling at Tohsaka Tokiomi's ironic ending. This arrogant wizard played a big role in the life of his student Kirei, but never realized that he had warmed a snake at his side.

Kirei's order to kill Tokiomi came to Assassin less than an hour ago. He wanted to make sure Kirei didn't change his mind, but the Servant that Tokiomi summoned would surely be there when the assassination took place. Tokiomi summoned an Archer-class Servant, but this Hero seemed to be weaker than Kirei expected. And when Tokiomi was no longer useful, Assassin agreed with Kirei's decision that night.

"There's no point in being careful. Don't be afraid to face Archer. All you have to do is take out Tohsaka Tokiomi quickly."

That was the order of Master Kirei. Fighting against the despicable and weakest of all the Assassin's Servants, Archer will neither be afraid nor rush to finish him off. The miscalculated Heroic Spirit Bow summoned by Tohsaka Tokiomi would be easy to deal with.

Halfway out of the garden, the gap in the security system disappeared. From that moment on, the barrier could only be removed by force; and at the same time it was necessary to move. And it was impossible to move on while remaining in a ghostly form.

Leaning in the shadows of tall plants, Assassin returned to his material form - a tall, thin man with a skull-mask on his face. He felt the presence of many "eyes" watching him from afar. They were different from the "views" of the security system of the Tohsaka family residence, which were located outside the barrier.

The familiars of the other Masters must have been watching the estate as well. As long as Tokiomi himself hasn't noticed him, there's no reason to worry about these "peeping boys". Tokiomi's opponents in the Grail War won't warn him of the Assassin's invasion. If one of the participants suddenly "gets out" of the struggle, the rest will remain only silent witnesses of what is happening.

Moving silently, Assassin put his hand on the first stone, which deactivated the bar…

In the next moment, his hand was pierced by a spear, which, flashing like lightning, flew from somewhere above.

"…hh?!"

Sudden pain, horror, and - shock. The spear was a complete surprise to the Assassin. He lifted his head to see who had thrown him.

No, there was no need to search.

On the roof of the Tohsaka family estate, there was a majestic golden figure. Divine radiance eclipses even the brilliance of the starry sky and makes the moon dim ...

Anger made the wounded Assassin forget about the pain. But he could only fear a new blow.

"You earth-digging worm, whose mercy do you seek?"

With these words, the man in golden armor looked contemptuously at the Assassin, who was hiding near the ground; his red eyes blazed.

"You have no right to look at me. Worms that dig in the ground while dying can only look at it, as they should."

Countless patches of light began to appear around the golden figure. From there, swords, halberds, spears, axes and daggers appeared half their length. There were no identical pairs among them; adorned with glittering ornaments, they all seemed to be weapons from treasure chests. And they were all aimed at the Assassin.

"I can't win."