[Summoning Servant...]
Ding-dong-
An azure Hexagram Magic Circle spread out, bursting with dazzling light that vanished in an instant, as though preparing for some ritual.
Deep in a sparsely inhabited mountain range, Ye Uchiha and Gin Ichimaru prepared to welcome their new Servant.
Buzz, buzz-
[System summoning error... bzzzt... beyond-specification summoning successful...]
Rumble-
A thunderous roar rang out overhead. A vast, resplendent palace in an ancient Western European style stood in the sky, radiating an indescribably brilliant glow. The faintly burning Command Spells on the back of Ye Uchiha's hand abruptly lit up, leaving him stunned.
The Throne of Heroes?
According to the information flowing into his mind, this golden palace was officially called the "Throne of Heroes."
In the Nasuverse, the Throne of Heroes was where those who had contracted with Alaya or heroes who had died in legend resided. Heroic Spirits could descend into the present world through the Holy Grail.
Chosen by the Holy Grail and bearing three Command Spells each, seven Masters used the Holy Grail to perform the "Spirit Evocation Ritual: Heroic Spirit Summoning," calling forth Servant copies from the Throne of Heroes into the present world to fight fiercely against one another. The ultimate victor would obtain the Holy Grail, which could grant any wish.
This struggle over the Holy Grail, capable of fulfilling its holder's wishes, was the origin of the so-called Holy Grail War.
Holy shit, I summoned the Throne of Heroes?!
Ye Uchiha stared at the golden palace overhead in shock. Merely standing before it, he could feel its majestic, supreme sanctity. The pressure it exerted seemed even greater than what Princess Kaguya had made him feel.
"My, my, this is quite something. Our new companion isn't even a person?" Standing beside him, Gin Ichimaru rubbed his chin and spoke in a deliberately exaggerated tone, a teasing smile curling his lips. He looked for all the world like someone eager to stir up more trouble.
Ye Uchiha couldn't be bothered to answer. He stared unblinkingly at the golden palace in the sky.
[Friendly reminder: due to the system's beyond-specification summoning, Servants descending from the Throne of Heroes have a chance of disobeying their Master. Please make adequate preparations.]
Huh?
That's not how this is supposed to go!
Aren't Servants supposed to obey me?
Reading the notification on the interface, Ye Uchiha frowned slightly. He clearly hadn't expected anything to go wrong with this summoning.
A moment later, the golden palace overhead began shrinking rapidly, turning into a streak of golden light that shot into Ye Uchiha's heart.
Somewhat rattled by this sudden change, Ye Uchiha immediately brought up his Status Window to check his current condition.
Ye Uchiha Class: Chaldea Master LV59 Equipment: Uchiha Gunbai, Akatsuki cloak, Blackscale Great Sword Skills: none Magic: Undead's Eulogy Noble Phantasm: Throne of Heroes Available Servant summons: 1 [Throne of Heroes Rank: ??? Type: Anti-Heroic Spirit Noble Phantasm Range: ??? Maximum targets: ???]
A Noble Phantasm?
Aren't those weapons only Heroic Spirit Servants in the Nasuverse possess?
As its name suggested, a Noble Phantasm was a precious artifact: an armament celebrated in a Heroic Spirit's legend, possessing unimaginable abilities. They could affect the world, reverse cause and effect, destroy nations and planets, or sever the world itself. Noble Phantasms came in many intricate varieties, each with its own extraordinary effects.
Seeing the new Noble Phantasm entry in his Status Window, Ye Uchiha wore an odd expression. Had he become a Heroic Spirit?
"At last we meet, Master of Chaldea."
An ethereal, melodious voice reached him as a graceful figure appeared before Ye Uchiha. She had silky, silver-white hair that fell to her waist, ruby eyes, and snowy skin that seemed delicate enough to break at a touch. A crownlike ornament rested on her head, and she wore an unusual moon-white outfit. Her appearance was too perfect to be human, like an exquisite, beautiful doll.
"Irisviel?"
"Irisviel von Einzbern. That was once my name. Of course, I have another name as well: Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern."
Her ruby eyes fixed on Ye Uchiha, the woman slowly explained her identity, exuding an inviolably sacred nobility.
As Irisviel spoke, the shadow beneath her detached itself and rose, transforming into another figure. Her exquisite features were identical to Irisviel's, but her clothing was black, the exact opposite. Even their auras stood at opposite extremes, hers carrying an ominous sense of malice.
Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern had been the head of the Einzbern Family, one of the three families that planned the first Holy Grail War. She was known as the "Saint of Winter," and even Irisviel was a homunculus created using Justeaze as a model.
That was the information that surfaced in Ye Uchiha's mind.
Irisviel said, "As Irisviel, I represent the original, empty Lesser Grail."
Justeaze continued, "And as Justeaze, I represent the Greater Grail filled with All the World's Evil."
"This is what I am: the embodiment of the Holy Grail's will, and also the collective consciousness of the Throne of Heroes within you."
Faint smiles appeared on their exquisite faces. They placed their fair hands against Ye Uchiha's chest and spoke in unison.
The place beneath their hands was precisely where Ye Uchiha's heart lay. Their true form-the Throne of Heroes-resided there, and his heart was beating strongly.
Ye Uchiha challenged them. "You aren't actually them, are you?"
Although the woman in white, wearing the Dress of Heaven, called herself "Irisviel von Einzbern," Ye Uchiha, who had watched Fate/Zero, couldn't find the slightest trace of Irisviel in her. Instead, she felt like a carefully disguised imitation, strange in a way he couldn't quite describe.
"Correct. They once existed as Lesser Grails, representing personalities formed when the Holy Grail took tangible shape. As the one who manages the Throne of Heroes and the Holy Grail, I possess these existing personalities and have inherited their memories and experiences. They are me, but I am not them. Without doing this, I could not speak with you face-to-face like this."
Neither Irisviel nor Justeaze denied it. They answered candidly.
Standing beside them, Gin Ichimaru kept studying their two newly arrived "companions," inwardly marveling at how different they were.
These two had not manifested in physical bodies. Like him, they were spiritual beings, sustaining their existence through their own spiritual power. In terms of the purity of their souls, these two mysterious beings far surpassed even him, a Soul Reaper. Moreover, a vague, indescribable connection had formed between him and them-a natural relationship of superior and subordinate.
Unbelievable. Summoning and commanding beings from other worlds... Master, just who are you?!
Gin Ichimaru remained silent, looking at Ye Uchiha through narrowed eyes as a sudden curiosity about his origins stirred within him.
After Ye Uchiha summoned him, Gin Ichimaru had made several indirect inquiries and learned that Ye Uchiha also came from another world. But when asked why he could summon Gin and Princess Kaguya, Ye Uchiha had stated that he didn't know either.
Even so, Gin Ichimaru could sense the faint threads connecting him to Ye Uchiha. Perhaps, after today, the mystery would finally be revealed.
Before you continue