Sixteen thousand meters above the English Channel, the sea of clouds lay pristine, the air fresh. No matter how far human civilization advanced, this altitude remained a realm difficult to reach, preserving the beautiful blessing the Creator had bestowed upon this world.
The brilliant light stretched as far as the eye could see. Perhaps this was a sight that could never be glimpsed from the ground. At this altitude, both the temperature and the thin air caused by low pressure were deadly to any living creature.
Thus, what spread its wings through this sea of clouds was not a living thing, but a bird of steel, carving a rapid path through the sky and leaving behind a faint roar that vanished with the wind.
Over fifty years, human technology had advanced at a breathtaking pace.
Unfortunately, most of the benchmarks promised by science fiction movies had never been reached. There were no flying cars, no fully automated breakfast machines, and certainly no computers ruling humanity.
People's lives had not changed all that much from fifty years ago.
Perhaps scientists believed that, rather than inventing things that would reshape humanity, they should first make existing high-end technology available for civilian use.
For example, the speed of airplanes.
Flying from London, England, to Beijing, China, now took only four hours—one-third of the time it had taken fifty years ago.
Correspondingly, now that people's economic means had risen so rapidly, airfare was actually thirty percent cheaper than it had been back then. High-tech development had brought increasingly inexpensive materials and increasingly excellent quality. The power of technology truly was immense.
Inside a passenger jet flying directly from London to Beijing, the abundant heating stirred the enthusiasm of a black-haired youth. Sunlight filtered through the tinted glass, casting a gentle, unobtrusive glow over him. Humming the theme song from an anime, he browsed international news on his tablet.
"...The theft of the Mansen Shūkai, an item in the Tokyo National Museum's collection, occurred several months ago, and no leads have yet been found. The relevant authorities will continue strengthening security in an effort to recover the stolen exhibit. This station will continue following the story..."
The newsreader's voice projected from the tiny high-tech device in full surround sound, making it feel as though one were right there—though it was only the news. Even if one really were there, all one could smell would be the stale air of a television station.
"Ahhh... I'm Japanese too, but... how should I put it? This is exhausting? Man, Japan's really finished. Even the National Museum got robbed."
The black-haired young man's lips curved helplessly, and his shoulders rose with that helplessness. The padded shoulders of his green-and-white athletic jacket traced a subtle line. With that lament, he casually turned off the program.
With the typical features of a Japanese face, he scratched at his short black hair, his brows furrowed in a mix of embarrassment and anger. He looked thoroughly frustrated by Japan's failure to live up to expectations.
Unlike his reserved self at the Clock Tower, Tsukahara Meiji felt as though he had been reborn after leaving that place where even the air seemed to carry a moldy smell. Combined with the joy in his heart at being about to participate in the Holy Grail War, it made his entire demeanor frivolous.
Or rather, this was his true nature. At the Clock Tower, to avoid being bullied any more than necessary, he could only keep his head down, stay low-key, and endure. That was the only rule for survival. But now, having left that place where even the air seemed filled with arrogant particles of noble disdain, Tsukahara Meiji had completely relaxed... no, he should say he had let himself go.
For instance, openly playing news videos on an international flight and loudly voicing his opinions like this could only be called a severe lack of common sense and manners. Normally, wouldn't a flight attendant have politely reminded him, or other passengers have given him irritated looks?
Thus, the blonde young man seated beside him could not help clicking his tongue, producing a soft sound that was practically a reprimand. "Tsukahara, did you confirm all the documents I gave you?"
"Oh! Of course, boss! Well, only the parts you marked in red, though. I'm super confident right now! Even a third-rate Magus like me should be fine as long as I put my mind to it! Explosives, handguns, sniping, all that stuff! Magus combat is way too cool, isn't it?"
The Japanese Magus Tsukahara Meiji excitedly raised an arm. It looked as though he had originally intended to stand up, but his body was firmly restrained by the seat belt, leaving him unable to move. He could only concentrate his passion in his fist and punch it high toward the ceiling to express his conviction.
"Don't put too much faith in Emiya Kiritsugu. These days, the Magus Killer's methods are no longer a secret. Naturally, the Magi participating in the Holy Grail War will be prepared for them. And even if they work well, what about explosives? What about handguns? Do you have a way to get them?"
"..."
His close friend Carl Wynster spoke as calmly as ever. It was like having a bucket of cold water dumped over his head, instantly extinguishing seventy or eighty percent of Tsukahara Meiji's passion. Carl, who always prioritized thinking about what to do after failure, gave people the impression of being a pessimist.
Yet Tsukahara Meiji knew very well that his close friend simply liked to prepare for the worst.
He assumed failure in advance, then drafted remedies for every possible failure. Though his words sounded like deliberate attempts to throw cold water on people, once a tragedy truly occurred, all of his prior rehearsals would be converted into action.
The greatest proof that he was not a pessimist but a man who left nothing to chance was Tsukahara Meiji himself. Although Carl repeatedly tried to persuade Tsukahara Meiji not to take risks, she had still made ample preparations for the possibility of "what if Tsukahara Meiji insists on coming along?" That brick-like dossier, as thick as an Oxford dictionary, could not have been gathered in a day or two.
What was strange was that, despite openly discussing dangerous subjects such as explosives and handguns on an airplane, not a single nearby passenger showed alarm or confusion. Everyone went about their own business, treating the two of them as though they did not exist.
Even the flight attendant handing out meals did not pause when she passed their seats. She hurried straight past them as if she had seen nothing, skipping over them to ask the passengers farther ahead whether they wanted food or drinks.
This was magecraft that drove away idle bystanders, capable of creating a space that ordinary people could not enter. Likewise, anything inside could not reach the outside world.
Therefore, to the passengers and flight attendants, these two people did not exist. These were merely vacant seats. People buying tickets but failing to board for one reason or another was far too common.
"More importantly... we're about to enter Asia. It's almost time."
Carl wore a white long coat today, neat and efficient. That was Carl's style: practicality over flashiness. After all, she bore the burden of a family massacre and the responsibility of restoring her family. She probably had no time to enjoy a flashy but impractical life.
Beneath the long coat, however, a hint of solemn blue showed through, trimmed with indigo, bringing to mind a tranquil ocean. It was the Mystic Code she had specially crafted for herself, supposedly the finest attire for pushing her magecraft to its limits. Even Tsukahara Meiji, Carl's close friend, had never seen what this Mystic Code truly looked like. It was clear that Carl had staked everything on this Holy Grail War.
As Carl spoke, she took a box of chocolates from her coat and handed it to Tsukahara Meiji. Along with it came a beautiful golden ring and a dry twig.
That combination was simply too bizarre. If they had been a man and a woman, it would have made perfect sense. Unfortunately, they were two men, which made one think of certain strange things.
However, for the two of them, who took it all in stride, this was a battle procedure they had agreed upon long ago.
The weak were not incapable of defeating the strong. But if you were weak and still stupidly charged head-on against someone stronger, then there was simply something wrong with your brain.
Schemes were the only weapon that could possibly allow Carl to win the Holy Grail War.
For that, Carl needed Tsukahara Meiji's strength. At the very least, he could help her eliminate one enemy—especially an Archer renowned for powerful Noble Phantasms, or a Saber known for exceptional abilities.
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 exceptional combat strength and outstanding performances in past Holy Grail Wars. They were Heroic Spirits requiring particular caution.
Among them, because Archers often possessed legends related to bows and arrows, they generally had excellent Noble Phantasms. If she could bring such a threatening Heroic Spirit under her control, her odds of winning the Holy Grail War would rise again.
This was the most basic tactic: eliminate opponents she feared as much as possible.
But before that... they first had to help Tsukahara Meiji obtain Master qualifications.
That was what Carl had meant earlier by saying that time was running out.
Every Holy Grail War had been like this: Command Spells were distributed first to The Three Families of the Holy Grail War. There were rumors that during the Fourth Holy Grail War, someone had received Command Spells three years in advance.
There could only be seven participants in the Holy Grail War. Once all seven slots had been filled, even an exceptionally talented Magus or someone who desperately craved the Grail's power could no longer invoke the Grail's miracle and obtain Command Spells.
Therefore... before all seven Masters were selected, Carl had to make Tsukahara Meiji qualify as a Master.
However, there was a small bug in this system.
That was, once a Master had obtained the qualification, no matter what happened to them, as long as they remained alive, they would not be stripped of their Master status. Whether they became physically disabled or their Magic Circuits were completely destroyed, as long as the Master survived, they would not lose their qualifications.
So, let's first summarize the qualifications for becoming a Master in the Holy Grail War. Apart from the qualifications of The Three Families, they were: outstanding aptitude as a Magus, and a reason one had to obtain the Grail.
Beyond that, there was one hidden condition: the closer one was to the battlefield of the Holy Grail War, the greater the chance of being selected.
This was because if the Grail could not find enough Magi, it would indiscriminately hand out Master qualifications. To begin the Holy Grail War as soon as possible, it had to get those hastily selected Masters to the battlefield at the fastest possible speed and commence the war.
Otherwise, if six of the seven Masters were in Fuyuki while one outsider in Germany knew nothing of the Holy Grail War, then even fighting for a year would not bring the Holy Grail War to an end. One Heroic Spirit would forever remain off the battlefield.
Thus, Carl made a bold deduction...
A huge gamble—a gamble that could allow Tsukahara Meiji to obtain Master qualifications.
Before you continue