Prologue: The Sixth Holy Grail War Reopens

The existence referred to by this title is not singular.

Perhaps the most widely known concept of the Holy Grail is the "golden cup used by the Saint Jesus at the Last Supper," a notion that has spread throughout the world with the dissemination of Christianity.

Countless legends surround the Holy Grail. Some claim it once held the blood of saints, or that only the most pious believers can lift it...

However, there is another, lesser-known legend about the Holy Grail...

It states...

"Can the holder achieve any single wish they desire..."

2055, England, Clock Tower Library.

A young lecturer with cheerful blond hair held an exquisite ancient book in one hand.

Warm, orange candlelight flickered amidst the dim, wooden halls. In an era of advanced electrical technology, this antique decoration offered an incredibly novel experience.

Amidst the soft scent of burning pine resin, the young lecturer slid the book back onto the shelf with a faint click.

"Heh... pure fantasy."

A satisfied smile touched his lips. The act of "acquiring knowledge" always brought him joy. Yet, his words carried a hint of mockery, as if ridiculing the sentence he had just read and stored in his mind: "Achieve any single wish."

The sound of his scoff clearly conveyed his attitude towards such accounts.

He had soft, short blond hair, like fine sand. It was simply styled but not perfectly neat, with a touch of casual disarray at the edges. His Caucasian heritage gave him exceptionally fair skin with a healthy blush. His sea-blue eyes drooped slightly, conveying a touch of melancholy and deep emotion. His nose had the characteristic high bridge of Europeans, but his lips were thin and always seemed to hold a smile.

His well-proportioned features combined to present a pleasant and dignified appearance. Coupled with the aristocratic bearing and gentle demeanor he exuded unintentionally, he was likely to attract countless admiring glances wherever he went.

This man was named Abner Fergus Winifred, a magus affiliated with Britain's Clock Tower.

When speaking of magi, this profession is not in the traditional sense: making cards disappear, or using visual illusions to create small-scale, attention-grabbing tricks.

From countless ages past, they have pursued the true meaning of magecraft, stepped into the realm of the occult, constantly advancing and exploring, diverging from science onto a completely different path.

This is the world of magi.

To ordinary people, the term "wizard" might be more fitting for this group of reclusive, special individuals.

However, within the ranks of "magi," magic is a sacred word and absolutely cannot be used carelessly. Things achievable through the channeling of magical energy, such as conjuring flames or freezing water, fall within the domain of "sorcery." Only those great deeds that humans cannot accomplish in a lifetime are considered "magic."

Abner was precisely one of these special individuals—an explorer of magecraft.

Furthermore, at only twenty-four years old, he was already the eleventh head of the Winifred Family and a foremost expert in magecraft at the Clock Tower. Wielding water-attribute magical energy, he possessed a level of mastery far exceeding that of other magi.

However... this outstanding young magus was merely a junior lecturer for the "Magecraft Engineering Optimization" course, making one question the Clock Tower's selection criteria.

In fact, Abner was a disciple of the renowned Clock Tower lecturer Lord El-Melloi II. It was this lineage that determined his position.

Regarding Lord El-Melloi II, everyone at the Clock Tower knew him well.

Firstly, he had participated in the Holy Grail War. Although not a victor, he was a survivor. His contemporary, the first-rate Clock Tower magus genius Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, died, as did the head of the Tohsaka clan who governed Fuyuki, Tokiomi Tohsaka. This outcome made him famous for a time.

Secondly, he was exceptionally skilled at discovering talented individuals in the field of magecraft. Although his own magical skills were shallow—he could hardly be called a second-rate magus, and in the increasingly talent-rich Clock Tower, even calling him a third-rate magus would be an exaggeration.

However, his knowledge of magecraft was terrifyingly vast, making him a walking encyclopedia. He had numerous disciples and extensive connections within the Clock Tower. Someone once described this rigid old man as: "If he set his mind to it, he could overturn the structure of the Clock Tower."

Thirdly... this same individual, forty years ago, ten years after the Fifth Holy Grail War, personally traveled to the battlefield of the Holy Grail War, Fuyuki City, and dismantled the Greater Grail, the most crucial artifact of the Holy Grail War.

For magi, the Holy Grail War was a grand gathering of high-caliber magi, the ultimate event in the world of magic. The Greater Grail accumulated magical energy and convened roughly every sixty years, selecting seven magi from around the world and granting them a portion of its vast magical power, allowing them to summon Servants.

The magi, wielding seven Servants of different classes, would then fight each other, vying for the final victor...

...to lift the Holy Grail and have their wish granted. This was akin to a miracle in the world of magic!

Yet, Lord El-Melloi II had personally destroyed the possibility of this miracle.

It was hard not to become famous for such an act.

As a result, Lord El-Melloi II had a strained relationship with the Clock Tower. Although they outwardly exchanged information and maintained a facade of peace, in reality, the career progression of all magi associated with him faced various degrees of obstruction.

If not for the considerable fame of the Winifred Family, and Abner being hailed as a young genius and head of the family, he likely wouldn't have even qualified for this minor lecturer position.

This was also why Abner had previously scoffed at the Holy Grail War.

As the name suggests, the Holy Grail War was a battle centered around the Holy Grail. If the Holy Grail itself had been dismantled... what was there left to fight for?

However...

Abner's left hand gently covered his right.

Although he wore a white glove now, beneath the smooth touch of silk, Abner clearly felt a vast amount of magical energy flowing.

It was a "certain something" several times greater than the magical energy limit of a human.

Three red markings, forming a vortex-like pattern, appeared on the back of his right hand.

These were known as Command Spells.

In the Holy Grail War, they were three consumable items that could issue commands of "absolute obedience" to summoned Servants.

In other words, they were the "entry tickets" to the Holy Grail War.

Those chosen by the Holy Grail to become Masters would manifest Command Spells. Furthermore, if they summoned a Heroic Spirit to descend as a Servant, they would officially become participants in the Holy Grail War.

Heroic Spirits were, in essence, a type of familiar. However, they were fundamentally different from ordinary familiars.

They were either world-renowned great heroes or notorious villains.

Or perhaps monstrous beasts and sacred beasts from myths and legends.

Or perhaps a spiritual belief held by many.

Servants are beings like that. While they are the same classification as familiars in the conventional sense, they cannot be compared due to the difference in their "quality."

Pencils and diamonds are both made of carbon, but diamonds are thousands of times harder than pencils. The difference between familiars and Servants is probably like that.

The magical energy required to command a Servant is an amount that humans would struggle to accumulate in a lifetime. After all, Servants are great heroes from legends, so it's only natural they would be different from the birds and mice typically considered familiars.

In other words... Servants are beings that humans shouldn't be able to command. Even when demoted to the role of a Servant, they are still beings difficult for humans to control.

This is one of the miracles of the Holy Grail.

Participants in the Holy Grail War are supported by the Holy Grail's vast magical energy, allowing them to exceptionally summon Servants to serve them. The Master only supplies the magical energy for the Servant's "manifestation in the present world," while Command Spells are the "reins" that allow for three absolute demands of obedience.

The act of summoning a Servant is itself a "miracle" within magecraft. No one would doubt the power of the [Greater Grail], the very source of such miracles.

However, as mentioned before, the Holy Grail War was already a "past perfect" by the time Abner was born.

Abner's personality is not to dwell on things that are [impossible].

Yet, he was now facing the most severe problem caused by his personality.

That is... a lack of information.

Regarding the Holy Grail War, Abner only knew that it was a high-level "war" for magi. That was all.

He didn't know any other details.

Abner had never felt such uncertainty.

"I need... to understand this more thoroughly. The Holy Grail War."

Gently stroking his hand, a rare firm light appeared in Abner's melancholic eyes.

As a member of the Clock Tower, as a magus, he had an obligation to thoroughly investigate everything about this Holy Grail War.

However, at the same time, his heart was calling out.

If...

Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance...

It was the true Holy Grail War...

If he could achieve victory... perhaps, with the power of the Holy Grail... he could reach the [Root], a state every magus yearns for...

If that were the case...

Abner strengthened his resolve.

No matter what, he had to investigate.