Prologue: Ten Thousand Six Thousand Meters Up

High above the English Channel, at an altitude of sixteen thousand meters, the sea of clouds was pure and the air was fresh. No matter how much human civilization progressed, this altitude remained a realm difficult to reach, preserving the beautiful blessings that the Creator bestowed upon this world.

The bright sunlight was unobstructed, a view that likely couldn't be glimpsed from the ground. At this height, the thin air, caused by both temperature and pressure, was fatal to any living organism.

Therefore, what flapped its wings in this sea of clouds was not a living creature, but a bird of steel, tracing a rapid trajectory, leaving behind a roar that vanished with the wind.

In fifty years, human technological development had been astonishingly rapid.

Unfortunately, most of the benchmarks from science fiction movies had not been met. There were no cars that could float in the sky, no fully automated breakfast machines, and no computers ruling humanity.

People's lives had not changed much from fifty years ago.

Perhaps the scientists' thinking was: rather than inventing items that would change the human landscape, they should prioritize making existing high-end technology civilian-friendly.

For example, the speed of airplanes.

It only took four hours to fly from London, England, to Beijing, China: three times faster than fifty years ago.

Correspondingly, with the rapid increase in people's economic strength today, plane tickets were actually thirty percent cheaper than back then. The development of high-tech had brought about increasingly cheaper material acquisition and increasingly excellent quality. One had to admit, the power of technology was immense.

On the passenger plane flying directly from London to Beijing, the ample heating was blowing against the enthusiastic black-haired youth. Sunlight filtered through the light-absorbing glass, casting a gentle, unobtrusive halo upon him. He hummed the theme song of an anime while watching international news on his tablet.

"...Several months ago, the theft of the Tokyo National Museum's collection, "Mansen Shūkai," has yet to yield any clues. Relevant authorities will continue to strengthen security in an effort to recover the stolen exhibit. This station will continue to follow the report..."

The news anchor's voice was projected stereoscopically from the small, high-tech device, creating an immersive experience—though, it was just news, and even if one were truly immersed, they would only smell the stale air of the television studio.

"Ahhh... Although I'm Japanese, how should I put it? Apathy? Oh dear, Japan is doomed if even the National Museum can be robbed."

The black-haired young man's lips curved into a helpless arc, his shoulders shrugging with this helplessness. The shoulder pads of his green and white sports jacket created subtle curves. He sighed like this and then turned off the program.

With features typical of a Japanese person, he was scratching his short black hair, his brows furrowed in an expression of awkwardness and anger, a look of "disappointed in its lack of progress."

Unlike the timidity he felt at the Clock Tower, away from that place where even the air seemed to carry a musty scent, Tsukahara Meiji felt the joy of being reborn as a human. Coupled with the excitement of participating in the Holy Grail War, it made him feel rather frivolous.

Or rather, this was his true nature. At the Clock Tower, to avoid "suffering more bullying," he had to tread carefully, keep a low profile, and endure; these were the only rules for survival. Now, having left that place where arrogance seemed to permeate the very air, Tsukahara Meiji was thoroughly relaxed—no, he was indulging himself.

For example, on an international flight, openly playing news videos and loudly expressing his opinions was an act that showed a severe lack of common sense and etiquette. Normally, he would have received a polite reminder from a flight attendant or indignant glares from other passengers.

Thus, the blond youth sitting next to him couldn't help but click his tongue, letting out a soft "tsk" that sounded like a reprimand, "Tsukahara, have you confirmed all the documents I gave you?"

"Oh! Of course, boss! But only the parts you underlined. Right now, I'm super confident! Even a third-rate magus like me can handle it if I set my mind to it! Explosives, handguns, sniping, and such! Mage combat is so cool!"

The Japanese magus, Tsukahara Meiji, excitedly raised his arm. Judging by his demeanor, he was about to stand up, but his body was firmly secured by the seatbelt, rendering him immobile. He could only channel his fervor into his fist, raising it high towards the ceiling to express his conviction.

"Don't put too much faith in Emiya Kiritsugu. Nowadays, the 'Magus Killer's' tactics are no longer a secret, and the mages participating in the Holy Grail War are naturally prepared. Moreover, even if they are useful, what about the explosives, what about the handguns? Do you have a source for them?"

"..."

His close friend Karl Winsted's words were as calm as ever, pouring a bucket of cold water over him, extinguishing about seventy to eighty percent of Tsukahara Meiji's enthusiasm. Karl, who always prioritized thinking about "what to do after failure," always gave off a sense of pessimism.

However, Tsukahara Meiji knew very well that his close friend simply liked to prepare for the unexpected.

By anticipating failure in advance and formulating contingency plans for potential failures, although his words might sound like he was deliberately pouring cold water, once a tragedy actually occurred, his pre-scenario rehearsals would fully translate into action.

The best proof that he wasn't a "pessimist" but a "master strategist" was Tsukahara Meiji himself. Although Karl repeatedly advised him not to take risks, he had still made thorough preparations for "what to do if Tsukahara Meiji insisted on coming along." That reference book, as thick as an Oxford dictionary, couldn't have been compiled in just a day or two.

Strangely, when discussing dangerous topics like explosives and handguns so openly on the plane, none of the surrounding passengers showed any signs of panic or confusion. Everyone was minding their own business, completely ignoring their conversation.

Even the flight attendants distributing meals walked past their seats without stopping, their eyes passing over them as if they were invisible. They skipped their row and directly asked the passengers in front if they needed drinks and food.

This was a magic to disperse onlookers, creating a space inaccessible to ordinary people. Similarly, matters within could not be conveyed to the outside.

Therefore, to the passengers and flight attendants, these two individuals did not exist; it was simply a row of seats that happened to be unoccupied. It was very common for people to buy tickets but not board the plane for various reasons.

"More importantly... we're about to enter Asian airspace soon, so it's almost time."

Karl was wearing a white trench coat today, neat and capable, which was Karl's style. He valued practicality and eschewed flashiness. After all, he was someone burdened with a family tragedy and the responsibility of reviving his lineage, so he probably didn't have time to enjoy a life of superficiality.

Beneath the trench coat, a hint of solemn azure could be seen, bordered with indigo, evoking the calm ocean. This was his custom-made magic outfit, said to be the best attire for maximizing his magical attainments. Even Tsukahara Meiji, Karl's close friend, had never seen the true appearance of this outfit, which showed Karl's determination to bet everything on this Holy Grail War.

As Karl spoke, he took out a box of chocolates from his pocket and handed it to Tsukahara Meiji. Along with it came a beautiful gold ring and a withered branch.

This combination was too bizarre. If it were a man and a woman, it would be natural. However, since it was two men, it conjured up some strange associations.

Yet, for the two men who remained unfazed, this was a pre-arranged combat procedure.

The weak are not incapable of defeating the strong. However, for the weak to foolishly confront the strong head-on is simply a sign of a troubled mind.

Strategy was the only weapon that could possibly allow Karl to win the Holy Grail War.

To achieve this, Karl needed Tsukahara Meiji's strength, which could at least help him eliminate one enemy. Especially an Archer, known for their powerful Noble Phantasms, or a Saber, known for their excellent stats.

In the Holy Grail War, Saber, the heroic spirit of the sword, Archer, the heroic spirit of the bow, and Lancer, the heroic spirit of the spear, were collectively known as the Three Knights due to their excellent combat capabilities and their outstanding performances in past Holy Grail Wars. They were heroic spirits that required particular caution in the Holy Grail War.

Among them, Archer, the heroic spirit of the bow, often had legends associated with bows and arrows, and generally, Archers possessed excellent Noble Phantasms. By securing such a threatening heroic spirit, the chances of winning the Holy Grail War would increase.

This was the most basic tactic: eliminate the opponents I fear as much as possible.

And before that... first, he had to help Tsukahara Meiji obtain Master qualifications.

This was what Karl had meant by "time is running out."

It had been the same in every Holy Grail War; Command Spells were preferentially distributed to the "Three Families" of the Holy Grail War. There were rumors that in the Fourth Holy Grail War, someone had obtained Command Spells three years in advance.

There were only seven participants in the Holy Grail War. Once the seven slots were filled, even if incredibly talented mages appeared, or those who desperately craved the power of the Holy Grail, they could no longer invoke the miracle of the Holy Grail and obtain Command Spells.

Therefore... Karl had to ensure Tsukahara Meiji obtained Master qualifications before all seven Masters were chosen.

However, this system had a small bug.

That is, once a Master had qualified, no matter what happened to them, as long as they were still alive, they wouldn't be stripped of their Master qualifications. Even if their body was crippled or their magic circuits were destroyed, as long as the Master survived, they wouldn't lose their Master status.

So, let's first consolidate the qualifications for becoming a Master in the Holy Grail War. Aside from the Three Families, the qualifications are: excellent mage aptitude and a "reason" for obtaining the Holy Grail.

Beyond that, there was a hidden condition: the closer one was to the battlefield of the Holy Grail War, the greater their chance of being chosen.

This was because if the Holy Grail couldn't find a sufficient number of mages, it would arbitrarily distribute Master qualifications without question. To start the Holy Grail War as soon as possible, the hastily chosen Masters had to reach the battlefield as quickly as possible to open the Holy Grail War.

Otherwise, with seven Masters, six in Fuyuki and one layman who didn't understand the Holy Grail War at all in Germany, the Holy Grail War wouldn't end even after a year, with one Servant always absent from the battlefield.

Thus, Karl made a bold conjecture...

A gamble, a gamble that could allow Tsukahara Meiji to obtain Master qualifications.