The same time as three months ago, the same basement as three months ago, the same summoning ceremony as three months ago, the only difference is the person who presides over the summoning ceremony.
The position that originally belonged to Shinji was replaced by Kariya. Tonight, he was more serious than ever before. Not only did he prepare enough rune stones in advance, but he also put on the magic costume that he had completed under the guidance of Scathach. Before the scheduled time arrived, he had been silently reciting the summoning words.
Compared to him, Shinji's attitude seemed much more casual. He sat in the corner bored, flipping through the newspaper casually and glancing at the wall clock.
The three hands of the clock coincide and point to the origin at the same time.
Kariya opened his eyes, and under the guidance of the magic seal, turned on the switch of the magic circuit.
... ...
In the basement workshop of the Tousaka residence in Fuyuki City, the same ritual preparations were being carried out.
"Silver iron, stone and the Duke of the Contract. My ancestor and my master, Shubaiyin Aogu."
"The surging wind blocked the four walls, closed the four doors, emerged from the crown, and lingered at the three-way intersection leading to the kingdom."
Tōsaka Tokiomi drew the magic circle while chanting the spell aloud, using melted gem solution instead of the blood of the sacrifice.
The magician inherited from the Tohsaka family originated from the gem magic of the second magician "Jewel Master". The nature of the magic is "conversion". One can transfer one's own magic power to the gem and take it out at any time. One can also seal the designated magic into the gem and activate it when needed.
The advantage is that when necessary, it can exert power far beyond the magician's own limits.
The disadvantage is that it requires advance preparation and costs money - the gems used in gem magic are not cheap, and only rich people can afford such magic.
The Tousaka family, which is responsible for managing the spiritual veins of Fuyuki City, is considered to be quite wealthy, but in order to prepare the gem solution required for this summoning ceremony, Tousaka Tokiomi still spent all his savings. (That's why Rin was so poor later.)
Responsible for guarding the ceremony were two men in black monastic robes.
The younger one is Tōsaka Tokiomi's disciple and Scathach's surveillance target, Kotomine Kirei.
Kirei's father, the aged Kotomine Risei, was a priest of the Cathedral Church and served as the supervisor of the last and current Holy Grail Wars.
The Holy Grail War has a supervisor system that is independent of the Master. The Supervisor does not participate in the Holy Grail War, but only secretly monitors the behavior of the Master and the Servants and handles the aftermath of the war to ensure that the Holy Grail War does not affect the secular world.
If a Master or Servant violates the rules, the Supervisor has the right to temporarily change the rules to deal with it. In addition, after the war, the Master's unused Command Spells will also be collected by the Supervisor.
In theory, the position of the supervisor is impartial and absolutely neutral, but as long as one is human, he or she will have selfish desires, and the selfish desire of Kotomine Risei is to make reasonable use of the rules to help his ally Tōsaka Tokiomi win the Holy Grail War.
Kirei stared intently at the holy relic placed on the altar—the fossilized slough of a snake that was said to have shed its skin for the first time in this world in ancient times.
When Kirei thought about the Heroic Spirit that might be summoned through this, he couldn't help but feel a sense of fear.
Now he finally understood the reason why Tokiomi was so confident. No Servant could defeat the Heroic Spirit chosen by Tokiomi.
... ...
At the same time, in the Snow City far away in Germany, this is the base camp of the Einzbern family, the last of the three major families, the android family from which Yustisa was born.
A young man and woman are checking the completion of a magic circle drawn on the chapel floor.
The man had a typical oriental face, he was neither tall nor short, with strong facial lines, the type that girls would like.
The woman was extremely similar to Yustisa, and it was not an exaggeration to say that they were twin sisters. However, compared to the indifferent Yustisa, this woman's expressions were much richer.
The woman looked at the plain and crude summoning circle on the ground, feeling a little surprised.
"You may be disappointed, but the summoning of a Servant does not require such a grand ceremony."
The man explained as he carefully checked the pattern drawn with mercury to see if there were any distortions or spots.
"Because it is not the power of the magician that summons the Servants, but the power of the Holy Grail. As the Master, I am just a link between the Heroic Spirit and this world, and I only need to provide him with the magic power to materialize in this world."
As if satisfied with the completion of the magic circle, the man stood up and looked at the altar in the center, on which the catalyst for summoning was placed.
It was a scabbard with a golden base and blue outlines. The scabbard shone slightly, reflecting the faint inscriptions.
That's it, you're done.
... ...
The summoning circles used by the three major masters are either complicated or simple, but they are all in their respective workshops. Other candidate masters do not have such good treatment.
A corner of Fuyuki City, an open space deep in the woods.
A short boy looked around, and after making sure that there was no one around, he began to prepare for the summoning ceremony.
Although the boy looked nervous, his movements were quick and it looked like he had practiced it many times.
Different from the human blood, gems and mercury used by the three great families as carriers, the boy used the blood of freshly killed chickens. While the temperature of the chicken blood was still high, the boy began to chant.
"Close it, close it, close it, close it, close it, close it."
Say it five times in a row.
"But the overflow must be broken."
On that day, in different lands, the chanting of spells targeting different objects was carried out almost at the same time. It was a coincidence that could no longer be called accidental.
"—declaration."
"You are my subordinate. I trust my fate to your sword."
"Follow the call of the Holy Grail. If it is in accordance with this will and the law of nature, you will answer immediately."
The feeling of magic power surrounding the whole body, which no magus can escape, the chills and pain caused by the circulation of magic circuits in the body.
But at this time, one can only be patient and wait, and the chanting cannot be interrupted.
"I swear here. I will be a good person in the world and eliminate all the evil in the world."
Compared to the others, Kariya's chant had two more verses and he endured more pain. This was his own choice, the price he voluntarily paid for victory.
"It will cloud your eyes and rage your mind."
"Prisoner of the cage of madness, I am the master of these chains."
Compared with the training from a master, this pain is nothing.
Kariya gritted his teeth and continued to chant.
"The spirit of the words that entangle you, comes from the wheel of restraint, guardian of the Libra!"
Ending their prayer with these words, the magic power in each of the candidate masters accelerated to its limit.
The next second, the summoning pattern shone with brilliant light.
In that dazzling light, different figures came into the world.
Some are clear and stern, some are bold and unrestrained, and some are luxurious and imposing.
The last one exudes an ominous magical power all over his body.
With this as the beginning, the curtain of the Holy Grail War was raised.