Ruler and the Curtain Rises! / Tiamat's Dragon Crystals and the Opening Battle!

Kirei Kotomine took a test tube containing Gry's blood from his robes and handed it to Shirou Emiya.

"Begin, Shirou!"

Shirou Emiya solemnly accepted the test tube Kirei Kotomine handed him. He glanced at Kallian, who looked worried, then walked to the summoning circle and began chanting loudly as Kirei Kotomine had instructed.

As the light faded, a woman wearing a crown and thin clothing, with armor covering only her vital areas, appeared at the center of the circle atop a steed clad head to toe in armor.

The woman raised her spear and pointed it at Shirou Emiya before her.

"Were you the one who summoned me?"

Shirou Emiya hurriedly nodded to the woman. Then his left hand suddenly burned, and three Command Spells appeared on the back of it.

"I am Artoria Pendragon. I hereby acknowledge that the contract has been established!"

Hearing the Servant before him acknowledge their contract, Shirou Emiya finally let out a sigh of relief. After all, Artoria Pendragon exerted far too much pressure on him—she felt like a god.

"Who is it? Show yourself, hiding there."

Artoria lightly tugged the reins, and Dun Stallion beneath her instantly carried her to a pillar within the church. Artoria thrust out her spear, piercing straight through the pillar.

Ruler and the Curtain Rises!

A fist shot out from behind the pillar and struck the tip of the Lion King's spear.

Seeing the Lion King raise her spear again to attack, the figure behind the pillar took the initiative to reveal herself and shouted at the Lion King.

"Wait! Just wait!"

The figure flashed away again, dodging the Lion King's spear and leaping before the statue of Christ at the center of the church.

Only then did everyone clearly see the figure before them.

She wore a black sunhat, with long blue-purple hair falling down her back. A cross hung from the red collar around her neck, but most importantly, she was wearing a swimsuit. Yes, a swimsuit.

"I told you to wait. Honestly, I'm Martha, the Ruler of this Holy Grail War. Nice to meet you, little Master!"

Kallian stared at Martha, who was pointing at her, and asked in surprise.

"Me?"

"Of course you, little Master."

"But I don't have any Command Spells!"

"Oh! Maybe the temple you carry reacted a little slowly. Look, it's here!"

As Martha's words fell, Kallian felt a scorching sensation on the back of her right hand. Sure enough, three Command Spells appeared there.

Seeing Kallian dragged into the Holy Grail War, Shirou Emiya nervously asked Martha.

"Wait, what's going on? Why was Kallian chosen as a Master by the Holy Grail War? She clearly never performed a summoning ritual. And what exactly is a Ruler?"

"Huh? Let me sort this out first. Hmm..."

After pondering for a moment, Martha explained to them.

"Ruler, just as the name suggests, means adjudicator. In other words, I'm the referee of this Holy Grail War. You understand now, right? I should have had the ability to use two Command Spells on every Servant, and I should have manifested by possessing a little Master. But for some reason, something went wrong while the Counter Force was dispatching me here, and I ended up like this."

Shirou Emiya looked at Martha, took a few steps toward her, and asked.

"Miss Martha, aren't there only seven classes in the Holy Grail War? And why would something like the Counter Force send a referee to the Holy Grail War?"

"Little one, you're the little Master's brother, aren't you? I understand that you're worried about your sister, but sorry, I don't really understand these things either. Still, the Counter Force sent me here as a referee because someone has seriously violated the rules of this Holy Grail War!"

Beyond the world, Alaya and Gaia frowned as they spoke coldly to the black shadow before them.

"Why did you interfere with our dispatch of Ruler?"

"Ha ha ha ha! Of course, because you violated the agreement!"

"We did not. Our agreement was that we could not interfere with Rin Tohsaka, and we dispatched Ruler because someone broke the rules of the Holy Grail War. It was not directed at Rin Tohsaka!"

"Ha ha ha! But your actions interfered with her!"

Alaya and Gaia fell silent as they looked at the black shadow before them. After a long while, all three figures vanished from beyond the world, and peace returned once more.

In a forest outside Fuyuki City, shrouded by a barrier, stood the Einsbern castle.

Illya sat on Berserker's shoulder and looked at Sella before her.

"Sella, have you found Kiritsugu?"

"Miss, we found traces of Kiritsugu Emiya near the Matou Residence."

"Really? That's great! Berserker, come on. Let's go say hello to Kiritsugu!"

Meanwhile, a fierce battle was underway at a farm in the outskirts of Fuyuki City.

Lorelei, high-spirited and full of vigor, commanded the Choir as they continuously launched attacks on the farm.

"Hmph, I never expected these Dead Apostles to dare come here. Eliminate them! Destroy them!"

"Yes!"

Hearing Lorelei's command, the Choir shouted in unison. These first-rate Magi who had joined the Choir once again began slaughtering the Dead Apostles within the farm.

At that moment, an elderly man dressed as a butler approached Lorelei and whispered into her ear.

"Miss, those Magi have agreed to your demands in the face of your majesty. They have chosen to fight for you."

Lorelei gazed at Fuyuki City in the distance, her eyes burning with fighting spirit.

"Sajyou Manaka, I know you're here. Just wait! I'll repay the humiliation you gave me twofold this time! Butler, notify those Magi to begin their preparations. I want to make sure not even a fly can escape Fuyuki City!"

"Yes, as you wish!"

Before long, as magical agents were sent throughout Fuyuki City to relay the butler's orders, a large group of Magi who had received Lorelei's command began setting up barriers around the entire outskirts of Fuyuki City according to her instructions.

A Magus riding a speedboat across the sea looked at the brightly lit Fuyuki City in the distance and could not help complaining to his companion.

"What rotten luck. I only came to try my luck in the Holy Grail War, but I ran into the Clock Tower Queen. Sigh!"

"Heh, I opposed coming here from the very beginning. You were the one who insisted on coming!"

"Enough, you two. Stop complaining and get to work. The ordinary people in Fuyuki City are the truly unlucky ones. Only some of them will probably manage to leave before the barrier is completed. Most of those left behind will likely die here. I heard that the Clock Tower Queen brought the Clock Tower's elite forces this time! When that happens, Fuyuki City will probably become a battlefield!"

"That's true. Compared to those poor souls, we're much luckier. Oh, once Fuyuki City gets reduced to ruins in such a major incident, can that Clock Tower Queen really keep it hidden? Won't the world of magecraft be exposed to ordinary people?"

"You really do talk too much. Who do you think she is? Bartholomello! One of the Clock Tower's three great noble families. She must have already sent people to negotiate with the higher-ups among the ordinary people. What do small fry like us have to worry about? We should focus on carrying out Bartholomello's orders and figure out how to stay alive in this Holy Grail War!"

Inside the Holy Church in Koyomi City, neighboring Fuyuki City, the atmosphere was equally tense. The local administrator was speaking nervously with the upper ranks of the Holy Church over the phone.

"Yes... that's right... Your Excellency Bishop, that heretic Queen of the Clock Tower has brought a large number of elites into Fuyuki City's territory... Please rest assured, we will monitor their movements at all times... Yes... we will prepare to receive the honored members of the Knights of the Black Cross... Understood!"

After finishing the call with the Church's higher-ups, the local administrator put down the phone and collapsed into his chair, drenched in cold sweat. His vacant eyes stared out the window.

"Lord, is the end of the world about to descend?"

With Fuyuki City at its center, the curtain on an event that would sweep across nearly the entire hidden world slowly began to rise!

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Tiamat's Dragon Crystal and the Opening Battle!

In the laboratory beneath the Tohsaka Villa, Rin rested her chin in her hand as she looked at the thirteen test tubes before her, each radiating vast amounts of magical energy. She turned to Da Vinci.

"It looks like the first plan failed!"

"Mm, someone must have summoned King Arthur ahead of time!"

Rin casually picked up a test tube and felt the immense magical energy and vitality contained within. She took a deep breath.

"At least the second plan is fine. I'm counting on you!"

Da Vinci nodded solemnly at Rin.

"Don't worry, Rin. I'll extract the Dragon Factor from them and make sure it matches you."

After hearing Da Vinci's words, Rin put down the test tube and turned toward the basement door. When she reached it, she spoke softly.

"It's really great to have you, Da Vinci!"

When Rin walked out of the basement, Gilgamesh was leaning against the wall beside the exit, holding a glass of fine wine as he waited for her.

"Rin, are you finally going to begin fusing with the Dragon Factor?"

"You saw it again, Gil?"

Gilgamesh said nothing. He extended his free hand into the air, and a golden ripple opened. A deep-blue pearl glimmering like a gemstone fell into his hand.

"Rin, you're still missing this—the crystal that symbolizes Tiamat's dragon aspect!"

"Tiamat? The sea goddess from Mesopotamian Mythology, the deity who created all things, the embodiment of primordial chaos?"

"That's right! In Mesopotamian Mythology, she is deeply connected to dragons!"

With that, Gilgamesh placed the pearl in Rin's stunned hand, then transformed into a flash of golden light and disappeared from her sight.

Rin clenched the pearl in her hand and turned back toward the basement.

"Thank you, Gil."

Under the cover of night, at the Matou Residence.

Illya had already arrived here with Berserker.

Illya looked nervously at the mansion before her, eagerly imagining what it would be like when she met Kiritsugu Emiya shortly.

Then Berserker let out a gentle roar beside Illya's ear, bringing her back to her senses.

"Thank you, Berserker!"

Then Illya loudly called out toward the Matou Residence.

"Kiritsugu, don't you plan to come out and see me?"

Suddenly, Berserker grabbed Illya and leaped high into the air, dodging an incoming attack.

Roar!

Saber Alter looked displeased at Berserker, who had set Illya down and was roaring at her. She scolded him contemptuously.

"Where did this idiot come from, daring to interrupt the King's meal?"

Illya first glanced at Berserker, then confidently said to him.

"Go! Berserker, defeat her, and Kiritsugu will definitely show himself."

Roar!

Hearing Illya's command, Berserker let out a furious roar and stomped the ground with all his strength. Like a cannonball, he charged toward Saber Alter while swinging the massive Nameless Axe Sword in his hand.

"A beast, huh!"

Saber Alter gripped Excalibur with both hands, clashing with Berserker's Nameless Axe Sword. Violent gusts and sonic booms continuously erupted from their collision.

A battle straight out of myth and legend erupted once more in Fuyuki City.

On the second floor of the Tohsaka Estate, Zouken Matou smiled as he looked at Kiritsugu Emiya beside him and asked.

"Emiya, that's your daughter, isn't it? Don't you plan to see her?"

"There's no need. All I need now is the Holy Grail."

"Hehehe, how cold and heartless."

On the road that had been reduced to ruins, the battle between Servants continued. Their superb martial skill and similar attributes prevented either side from deciding victory in a short time.

However, compared to Berserker, who had the excellent Master Illya, Saber Alter's Master, Shinji Matou, held her back considerably, causing Saber Alter to lose the initiative in close combat.