Three years before the Fourth Holy Grail War began.
Turin, Italy.
"Fight one another for the Holy Grail that can grant wishes. You want me to take part in something like that?"
The man named Kirei Kotomine looked somewhat puzzled at the stranger his father had brought here—the current head of the Tohsaka Family, Tohsaka Tokiomi.
Three Command Spells stood clearly on the back of his hand, proof that he had already been chosen by the Greater Grail as a Master.
"To be honest, I was rather surprised by this as well."
Tohsaka Tokiomi lightly touched his chin with the knuckle of his right index finger. Command Spells were likewise present on the back of that hand, showing that, like Kirei Kotomine, he too was a Master chosen by the Holy Grail.
"Normally, the seven Masters selected by the Holy Grail for its seven Servants ought to be magi. This is the first time I have encountered someone like you—someone entirely unrelated to magecraft—being chosen so early."
"Servants."
Kirei Kotomine lowered his head to look at the Command Spells on the back of his hand, faintly furrowing his brow.
"Summoning Heroic Spirits as familiars and having them fight one another..."
This was the first time he had heard of such a thing.
"Since the previous Holy Grail Wars were all held in secret, and that was something every Master participating in them tacitly understood, it is only natural that you would not know about it, Kirei."
His father, Risei Kotomine, had been standing behind him. Risei walked to his side and spoke to him.
"I understand that asking you to accept this immediately may be somewhat abrupt. After all, gathering great figures from different eras and nations to slaughter one another sounds unrealistic in itself."
"However, it is indeed happening."