A Bold Newcomer and His Worried Friend

"Yo, Karl, did you gather all the information you needed?"

Tsukahara Meiji greeted his friend casually, but his light tone carried a deep sense of respect. It was a humility ingrained in the Japanese spirit, a trait unchanged in the nation's deeply stratified society.

This was especially true when facing the man before him, Karl Winsted.

Three years his senior, Karl was not only his benefactor but also his greatest friend.

It was Karl who had discovered his magical talent on the streets of Japan.

And it was Karl who, at the Clock Tower, had spoken to him without regard for his background or his teacher's status.

There's an old Chinese saying: "A scholar dies for his confidant." Tsukahara Meiji deeply agreed with this sentiment.

"Mhm, let's talk somewhere else."

"Ah... speaking of which, sorry, your lunch was taken by those guys..."

"It's fine. More importantly, we need to prepare as soon as possible."

"The outcome of the war was decided before it even began."

This was a phrase Karl often uttered.

Although Tsukahara Meiji didn't know who said it and found the statement rather idealistic, he had to admit that this famous quote perfectly encapsulated the man that was Karl Winsted.

The Winsted family was a moderately famous magical lineage, a revitalized family that had spanned seven generations. They were prosperous and numerous, but two years ago, they were suddenly reduced to ashes. The sole survivor was Karl Winsted, who now claimed the head of the family.

Incidentally, it was also two years ago that Karl discovered Tsukahara Meiji's magical talent. While visiting magical families in Japan to raise funds for the Winsted family's reconstruction, he happened to find Tsukahara Meiji performing on the street.

Yes, Tsukahara Meiji was a magician.

This referred to the magician in the common understanding of the word, one who specialized in card tricks. In reality, in this era of rapid economic development and increasing spiritual emptiness, magic was hardly a viable profession.

Like all industries, it was severely polarized. Famous magicians could live comfortably for an entire year with just a few card tricks, while unknown performers might earn less in a day than a beggar on the street.

Furthermore, magic relied on "mystery," and there were always people eager to expose the secrets behind magic, leaving magicians with nowhere to turn. This made Tsukahara Meiji even more disheartened.

It was Karl Winsted who brought Tsukahara Meiji into the world of magic.

To Tsukahara Meiji, Karl was his benefactor.

Of course, in reality, Karl also considered Tsukahara Meiji a "benefactor." The revival of the Winsted family was not a feat that one person could accomplish.

But that's a digression.

As mentioned before, Karl was a magician who was a master of calculation. Meticulous, serious, and somewhat rigid. However, in order to revive his family, he didn't mind about status. As a magician from a seven-generation lineage, he didn't care about Tsukahara Meiji's bloodline, an attitude rarely seen at the Clock Tower.

At least in Tsukahara Meiji's experience, only three people didn't value the accumulation of bloodline.

At that moment, the two were sitting in a private room at a hotel in London Airport, facing steaks and bread, wielding their knives and forks. Karl quickly cut his well-done steak into small pieces, sprinkled them with chopped parsley, and added chili powder along with the black pepper sauce – a rather unique way of eating.

Honestly, watching someone else eat could be quite awkward.

Especially when the person opposite him had a rather exquisite face, beautiful blonde hair of German descent, almond-shaped eyes that always conveyed a melancholic emotion, and a brow that was perpetually slightly furrowed. His appearance was very much like a magazine cover model, yet he was always shrouded in a painful melancholy.

It made sense, after all, carrying the mission to revive his family, it would be strange for Karl to be cheerful, wouldn't it?

Tsukahara Meiji made excuses for his friend in his heart.

"Hey, Karl, how did the investigation go?"

To alleviate the awkwardness of just staring, Tsukahara Meiji made small talk and asked the crucial question.

As if he wasn't worried about their conversation being overheard by anyone.

Of course, before he could speak, Karl had already drawn numerous magic runes glowing with a faint blue light on the doorframe, runes meant to conceal sound. This way, there was no need to worry about being discovered.

"As I expected, the Holy Grail War should have begun."

Karl said this and raised his right hand.

Three red marks appeared on it, forming a peculiar pattern.

"A tattoo? When did you get that?"

Facing Tsukahara Meiji's incredibly naive question as an outsider, even Karl could only offer a wry smile, his brows furrowed, and the corners of his mouth curving into a bitter arc.

"These are Command Spells. They are proof of being a Master in the Holy Grail War. Just as I expected, the Grail hasn't abandoned me. Someone with a wish that must be fulfilled, and with excellent magical aptitude, will not be ignored by the Grail."

"Well, I don't understand any of that. Anyway, what do you need me to do?"

Tsukahara Meiji smiled helplessly. Two years was far too short a time for a magician's exploration. Tsukahara Meiji had poured all his effort into just keeping up with his studies, let alone researching a magical ritual that had long been discontinued.

To make matters worse, even if he had the time, judging by the attitudes of the two students before, who would be willing to waste their precious time explaining a concluded Holy Grail War to a student of an "heretical magician"?

If that were not the case, he would have noticed the strange contradiction in his friend's words.

"I'll say this upfront, what comes next is very dangerous for you. You can refuse me..."

"Ah, don't worry about it. A scholar dies for his confidant; I definitely have to repay your kindness."

"What is that? A Japanese proverb?"

"No, a Chinese proverb."

"Is that so? I've learned something."

Karl's eyes opened and closed, and he nodded silently.

This was also why Tsukahara Meiji could be his friend.

He would listen very seriously to Tsukahara Meiji's words. If what he said made sense, this seventh-generation magus would absolutely not act unreasonably due to pride. If it were someone else, the last sentence of their conversation would definitely have been, "You're just researching useless things, why aren't you reading more magic papers?!"

As his sapphire-blue eyes began to shine cleanly again, he had already shifted his focus from the previous topic. While chatting about Chinese proverbs was nice, there were clearly more important things to do right now.

"In short, the Holy Grail War is a battle where seven masters summon seven servants and fight until only one pair remains victorious. I need you to be my partner and participate in the Holy Grail War together. Of course, I don't expect you to do much for me; the servant's strength largely depends on the master's magical energy. Your task is to reduce my enemies from six to five. The moment the heroic spirit is summoned, order him to commit suicide, transfer the remaining two Command Spells to me, and relinquish your master's authority, giving me an absolute advantage—even so, your danger is immense."

"Well, that's what I said—but you don't mind if I take out a few heroic spirits, do you?"

Tsukahara Meiji chuckled confidently. It was the confidence of a newborn calf facing a tiger; unaware of the Holy Grail War, Tsukahara Meiji was joking casually.

"Take out a few?"

Karl couldn't help but laugh. He stopped his cutlery, sat up straight, and his beautiful eyes reflected Tsukahara Meiji's face, making him feel a little guilty. "With your magic that condensed an ice mirror on the lawn and concentrated the sun's rays to burn someone's wool sweater?"

Karl was referring to an earlier incident where Tsukahara Meiji had burned an elite student's wool sweater.

It wasn't a powerful fire-attribute magic at all, but rather "ice-attribute" magic, which seemed completely opposite to fire.

The secret was the "divination" Tsukahara Meiji had mentioned at the beginning. The playing card he had thrown spun several times under his skillful hand, landing on the lawn at a perfect angle. Immediately after, the magic attached to the playing card activated; the slightly bent card cleverly transformed into a focusing lens, concentrating the bright midday sunlight onto a single point on the wool sweater.

That was Tsukahara Meiji's specialty, his [Magic]. It combined what the outside world understood as magic with miraculous technological advancements. The skill of throwing a playing card and making it land in a fixed position according to one's will could not be acquired in less than two to three years. Combining magic with magic was Tsukahara Meiji's unique fighting style.

This "method of using magic" could probably only be achieved by Abner's students.

Abner had perfectly inherited Lord El-Melloi II's theory from back then: "The level of a magus is not measured by the accumulation of bloodline but by combat experience." Although Lord El-Melloi II himself no longer promoted this view.

The characteristic of that lineage of magi was fighting with a flexible mind, utilizing experience and science to pursue efficiency without being constrained by magic itself.

"Well, you saw through it?"

The Japanese magus gave an embarrassed smile, his face a stiff grin of someone whose trick had been exposed.

"It's very much in Mr. Abner's style, but it's not strong enough. In any case, do your best. If you can do it, I'll be happy. I must obtain the Holy Grail to revive the Winsted Family."

As he spoke, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in Karl's eyes. He coughed lightly, making his already serious face even more solemn, to the point where he could directly deliver an obituary in Congress: "For this, I will show no mercy. If you don't do as I say... I will treat you as a pawn when necessary."

"Heehee, here you go again, you tsundere! You say that, but you actually care about me a lot~ You'd never really do that. Don't mind me, I can still help you gather information or draw enemy fire. I'll just run away if necessary."

Tsukahara Meiji had never experienced a magus's battle. Naturally, he understood magus combat like some kind of variety show, where everyone was laughing and competing for a championship, and if things got too tough, they could just forfeit.

Moreover... in Tsukahara Meiji's heart, there was a desire to thoroughly beat those guys who were so arrogant, to pursue and attack them with his own immature magic—how enjoyable would that be? As for life and death... hadn't he said it before?

A scholar dies for his confidant.

This was Tsukahara Meiji's attitude.

This attitude was precisely why Karl valued Tsukahara Meiji so much, why they met on the streets and became close friends. It was also why Karl was troubled now. He sighed and took a book from his pocket, handing it to him.

"What is this?"

The heavy book pressed down on Tsukahara Meiji's hand. He flipped through a few pages, and there wasn't a single illustration... it was all densely packed English, which bewildered the new magus whose high school English proficiency was only average to below average.

"Materials from previous Holy Grail Wars. Study them carefully. I've marked the places I need you to focus on. If you must participate, you at least need to understand how the weaker magi from past wars fought."

"Weaker... you're really not holding back... By the way, how do you have this? Did you already know..."

"Of course. Knowing your personality, you'd definitely say you'd help me. Since you want to help, make good use of it."

Karl's words carried a hint of awkwardness. Tsukahara Meiji laughed heartily: Although he said he didn't want him to fight, seeing that he had even found the materials clearly showed he wanted him to help! Honestly, if you're so unreserved, how can I watch you fight alone with peace of mind?

Tsukahara Meiji knew the pain of being alone and helpless better than anyone.

On the bustling streets, with no one willing to stop by his side, that desolate feeling... Karl was the same. As a member of the destroyed Winsted Family, almost every magus family was watching him. Before confirming his value, no one was willing to extend a hand to him.

Back then, when Tsukahara Meiji was at his lowest, it was Karl who pulled him up.

Now, Karl needed someone to help him revive his family, and Tsukahara Meiji would naturally not back down.

He patted Karl's shoulder firmly: "Honestly, I told you not to be so tsundere! Tsundere ruins a lifetime. Anyway, let me see..."

Tsukahara Meiji flipped through the pages quickly and soon found the first page with a folded corner.

There, circled in bright red ink, was a name. Next to it, helpfully written in Japanese, were the words "Special Attention."

The admonition from his friend made Tsukahara Meiji pause and carefully read the information.

"Emiya... Kiritsugu?"