At eight o'clock in the evening, in a derelict commercial building, Touko Aozaki, the highest-ranking Doll Master and one of the finest mages, sat with her legs crossed, exhaling a delicate smoke ring. Her intelligent, perceptive gaze peered over the lenses of her glasses at the figure opposite her.

"Are you truly a Heroic Spirit, you?"

Sitting on the sofa across from Touko was a young girl dressed in red halter overalls and a white shirt. Her long white hair was adorned with numerous bows. Like Touko, she had a cigarette dangling from her lips. She brought her index finger to the tip, and with a whoosh, the flame that erupted instantly lit the tobacco.

The girl took a deep drag, adopting the swagger of a juvenile delinquent. "Bad luck. To be drawn by such an annoying old hag. But don't worry. Despite my appearance, I still abide by established rules. Since I’ve become your Servant, I will obey your commands."

Touko Aozaki frowned. "As far as I know, Heroic Spirits are renowned heroes of history or mythological figures. But Fujiwara no Mokou… I've never heard of any hero or myth with that name in this world."

"You aren't an omniscient god, you know plenty you don't know."

"That is true. Even I wouldn't claim to know everything in this world. However…" Touko nodded, a knowing, intriguing smile playing on her lips. "This Holy Grail War is filled with so many incomprehensible elements. That I was chosen for the one in Fuyuki City. And to summon a nameless Heroic Spirit. It truly feels like a dream."

"The fact is, you summoned me. As for everything else… perhaps you have a wish that the Grail found appealing," Mokou said dismissively.

"Hahahaha!" Upon hearing this, Touko burst into laughter, mocking herself slightly. "My wish? A few years ago, perhaps I had something I desired. But now, I haven't any wishes left."

"You sound particularly cheerful today. I heard your laughter before even entering the room. Has something good happened, Touko?" Just then, a voice drifted in as the door was pushed open.

It was a girl with a somewhat androgynous look, sporting short black hair that covered her ears. She wore a red leather jacket, beneath which a blue kimono could faintly be glimpsed. The geta on her feet made soft pata-pata sounds against the floor.

"Oh, it's Shiki. No good news, but certainly strange news," Touko said, taking a slow drag of her cigarette.

The newcomer was none other than Ryougi Shiki.

Hearing Touko, Shiki paused momentarily, then noticed Fujiwara no Mokou seated on the sofa, prompting her question: "Who is she?"

Touko tilted her head and smiled. "An emissary from heaven. Or perhaps the Grim Reaper from hell."

"Reaper?" Shiki's expression shifted slightly. Her eyes, fixed on Mokou, began to bloom with a blue, spiraling light, and she murmured gravely, "You… feel somewhat different."

At this moment, Mokou’s gaze met Shiki’s, carrying a challenging air. "The feeling is mutual. Seeing you reminds me of someone I once knew, though you're not quite the same… But your eyes, they see death, don't they."

The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, which allowed one to see and sever the lines of mortality connecting all things—that was the ability Ryougi Shiki possessed. And in just an instant, Mokou had seen right through it.

"However, those eyes are useless against me. For starters, I don't possess the inherent quality of 'death.' And Heroic Spirits don't truly die… Though, if you did manage to strike me, I suppose I’d head back home."

"I think so too."

The two faced each other, an invisible spark of conflict crackling in the air between them.

"Hahahaha," Touko laughed again, watching the pair. "Your compatibility is truly terrible. Is it some sort of familial repulsion?"

"You should say we are opposing existences," Shiki replied, sitting down in the nearby seat with an air of detachment, as if the preceding confrontation hadn't occurred. She glanced sideways at Touko. "You still haven't explained what's going on. Why is a monster like that here?"

Touko stubbed out her cigarette butt, then immediately lit another one. "The Holy Grail War. Have you heard of it…"

Moments later, having heard the full story, Ryougi Shiki frowned and stated grimly, "I see. So, what do you plan to do next?"

"I haven't decided yet. Firstly, I have no needs regarding the Grail. Secondly… I know a little about the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City. Originally, only the three founding families would select participants within Fuyuki, but now it has spread all the way here, a thousand miles away. It feels like someone has deliberately meddled with things," Touko said calmly, looking at Shiki.

"You mean… someone is manipulating the Holy Grail War from behind the scenes?" Shiki’s pupils contracted.

Touko shook her head. "The Holy Grail War has always been manipulated by the Three Families; of course, they can only control the start, not the process or the conclusion. But this time, my intuition tells me something is wrong. I feel like someone is spreading a vast net, intending to catch everything in one go!"

"Everything means what?"

"I don't know."

Touko’s answer silenced Shiki, but then, as her gaze settled on Mokou, she smirked. "We have a potential source of information right here. A little questioning, perhaps with a Command Seal, might yield some clues…"

Mokou shrugged, maintaining her indifferent demeanor.

"It won't be that simple," Touko leaned back in her chair, eyes closed. "If my intuition is correct, the one pulling the strings must be a formidable figure. And the fact that they dared to hand over a Servant with absolute control means they aren't worried about secrets leaking, or perhaps… even the Servant themselves knows nothing."

Shiki considered this and found the reasoning sound.

At that moment, Mokou suddenly spoke up. "You are correct. I truly know nothing. I only know that I, like you, am merely a pawn, bound within these rules."

"Touko," Shiki said softly, her gaze sweeping past Mokou.

Touko understood the implication and nodded. "Whether pawn or something else, I was invited, pure and simple. And… I’m also rather interested in who extended the invitation."

"So, you plan to head to Fuyuki City then."

Touko smiled faintly. "Investigating might be a good idea. But before that…"

"Ring-ring-ring-ring!"

Before she could finish, the telephone on the desk began to ring frantically. After a few seconds, Touko picked it up. "This is the Garden of Sinners Office. You… Souju? Calling so late, what is it about… What? You were also chosen for the Holy Grail War?!"

In the dormitory of Reien Girls' Academy, after hanging up with Touko Aozaki, Mana Kiritsugu finally let out a huge sigh of relief. She had been extremely anxious about this Holy Grail War. Although she possessed a small, special talent, it could never compare to orthodox mages, and her future looked bleak. But now, with the support of the mage Touko Aozaki, she had no lingering worries.

"Good. With Miss Touko's strength, if I win this Holy Grail War, even that hateful woman won't be able to stop the future where Saya and I are together forever!" Mana stood up, seemingly ready to burn with intense fighting spirit.

However, in the next moment, she seemed to recall something, and her fighting spirit vanished without a trace. She flopped onto her bed, clutching a pillow, her face twisted in gloom. "Why does that hateful woman have to go too? Damn it! Miss Touko is such a big idiot!"

Mana Kiritsugu was a girl whose origin was rooted in the forbidden. Though her Origin had not yet awakened, perhaps influenced by this very taboo, she was deeply in love with her older brother, Shiki Kiritsugu. Upon realizing this feeling in childhood, she left the city, citing poor health, moving far away from Shiki to make him forget their sibling relationship, hoping they could later meet as ordinary youths and fall in love.

But what disappointed Mana was that Shiki had fallen instantly for his classmate, Ryougi Shiki. Later, Shiki and Shiki began working part-time at the Garden of Sinners. While Ryougi Shiki didn't seem particularly interested in Shiki, Mana couldn't ignore it.

"As long as big brother likes that hateful Ryougi Shiki, my wish can never come true. Therefore, in hopes of achieving parity with Ryougi Shiki in both mind and skill, and to drive Ryougi out of my brother's heart, I even resorted to apprenticing under a mage, becoming Touko Aozaki’s disciple… That is the history of my struggle."

Reisen, while eating, looked at Mana Kiritsugu, who was smiling at what appeared to be empty air while sitting on her bed, and couldn't help but interject, "You seem to have accidentally voiced all your inner thoughts aloud. Also… the tone of your last sentence was clearly meant to be cute, wasn't it?"

"Ah!" Hearing this, Mana shrieked, her face instantly turning crimson as she collapsed onto the floor, lamenting, "I'm such an idiot! Why would I blurt out my secrets like a self-introduction! Oh well, it doesn't matter if you heard it; you're just a Heroic Spirit anyway. In any case… I absolutely cannot let that hateful woman ruin my good fortune again in this Holy Grail War! Absolutely!"

"Hey, about that bust enhancement medicine we discussed, do you still want it?" Reisen squatted down in front of her, offering a small red pill.

Mana stared blankly at the pill for a few moments, then frowned. "Does this medicine really work? You aren't very large yourself. If it’s effective, why haven't you made yourself bigger?"

Reisen gently supported her own chest and stated seriously, "Being too big is also not good. If you’re carrying two basketballs, it ruins the aesthetics and looks disgusting, plus your shoulders get heavy… To tell you the truth, my current size is already sufficient, though sometimes it does ache a bit."

Saying this, Reisen rubbed her shoulders and sighed heavily.

Mana's veins instantly popped out in frustration… Showing off? This thing is definitely showing off!

A wave of envy, jealousy, and hatred surged within Mana. Gritting her teeth, she snatched the pill and swallowed it quickly, then declared with a flushed face, "Let's get this straight: I am absolutely not taking your medicine for breast enhancement! I'm only doing it because you clearly look like a quack selling fake medicine, so I need to verify its authenticity… Yes, I am a test subject! A test subject!"

Hearing Mana's determined tone, Reisen calmly extended her hand. "998 dollars. Not Yen. US Dollars."

"What the hell! Why don't you just rob a bank!"

Mana immediately roared.

Almost at the same time, on a street in another city, Lin Luo ignored the astonished stares of passersby. Clutching his laptop, he muttered to himself while wasting time, "The Clown Group, the Moe Group, and the Smoker Group are mostly settled. Although there are a few other individuals with special abilities in this city, the impact of my butterfly effect on them is negligible. No need to drag them in; after all, certain boss-level characters will invite themselves…" Meaning, he needed to move to the next city… Hm, one night is a bit tight. I need to speed things up.

"Then again, when all these monsters gather in Fuyuki City, a chaotic mess of demons and spirits, won't the map be a bit small? Adjusting the map size might be necessary too… Such a hassle…"

……

The largest and most mysterious financial conglomerate in [Japan], the Tohno family. The current head, Akihisa Tohno, had become the head of the house at the tender age of six, following the accidental death of her father, Shiju Tohno, ten years prior. Of course, for someone so young to truly control a family was a pipe dream, something even Akihisa Tohno could not manage.

For such a distinguished family, no one was willing to take orders from a six-year-old child. The influential members of the Tohno family constantly schemed to replace her. However, despite their ambitions, Akihisa was still the daughter of the head of the house, and the Tohno clan members had to consider the consequences before making any moves against her.

Coupled with checks and balances from various factions, Akihisa survived by navigating the narrow gaps between them. Yet, she held none of the authority of a family head; she was merely a puppet with the title.

However, Akihisa’s cleverness lay in her ability to endure. For the first few years, she perfectly masked herself as an ignorant little girl, complying with every arrangement. Secretly, however, she diligently absorbed knowledge—etiquette, family management, and the demonic power inherited perfectly through the Tohno bloodline.

At the age of eight, her brother, Shiki Tohno, driven mad by impulsive rage, lost his human rationality and attempted to kill her. In fact, he succeeded; Akihisa Tohno, stabbed through the heart, instantly lost her life. But… at that very moment, the Tohno blood within Akihisa also awakened.

Akihisa Tohno harbored two latent abilities: Fusion and Plunder. Fusion involved seeping her consciousness into the consciousness of a shared ability user, even allowing the exchange of business matters. Plunder, on the other hand, was the act of seizing energy from others and converting it into her own.

It was through this ability that the deceased Akihisa Tohno acquired Shiki Tohno's life, reviving once more. Simultaneously, with the activation of her powers, her Tohno blood fully awakened.

After several more years of endurance and recovery, when she turned fifteen, with the help of Kohaku and Hisui—the last two bloodlines of the four great auxiliary families, the Miko-Kiyoshi line, whom her father had adopted as maids—she launched her counterattack from within the family. Ultimately, beneath her demonic strength and wisdom, she seized control of the entire Tohno family in just half a month.

Originally, this should have been the end of an inspiring tale of a lonely, betrayed girl finding her footing. Akihisa Tohno had intended to live quietly from then on. But tonight, just before she fell asleep, a stinging sensation spread across the back of her hand, and a girl clad in wings suddenly materialized before her, speaking, "I have come upon your summons. My name is Remilia Scarlet. I have a question: Am I your Master?"

Akihisa Tohno stared dumbly at the bat-winged girl floating in the air, speechless for a moment.

Remilia seemed to enjoy her expression, resting her chin in her hand while floating in the void, smiling malevolently. "How interesting. I sense an aura akin to mine upon you. Perhaps being summoned by you isn't unexpected. I enjoy drinking Type B blood. And you? Do you enjoy drinking Type B blood, or perhaps… are you Type B yourself? If it's the latter, I won't be polite."

Listening to Remilia's wild ramblings, Akihisa finally snapped back to reality, letting out a cold laugh before rubbing her head. "Kohaku, Hisui, throw this thing out. I need to rest."

"Oh dear! Miss Akihisa, something terrible has happened!" Just then, a panicked voice sounded, and with a bang, the door was thrown open as two girls in maid uniforms rushed in, shouting, "Miss Akihisa, it's bad!"

"Kohaku, what has you so flustered?" Akihisa Tohno frowned immediately.

"Miss Akihisa, Hisui and I were just about to rest when suddenly… Huh?" The maid called Kohaku stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening as she saw Remilia suspended in mid-air, unable to speak further.

At the same time, Akihisa noticed two other girls standing behind Kohaku and Hisui. One was wearing a black and white dress resembling a maid uniform and held a broom. The other was white-haired and green-clad, with twin swords strapped to her waist, followed by something unidentifiable.

"Saber's Servant, Youmu Konpaku, I have arrived upon your summons," the sword-wielding girl stated solemnly, not sparing a glance.

"Oh oh oh, this thing looks expensive. Can I borrow it?" The other black-and-white clad girl, upon appearing, immediately darted towards a scroll painting in the room, her eyes shining with avarice.

Even Akihisa Tohno could not process the scene, her expression one of complete breakdown.

"Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?"