Chapter Summaries

Roland arrived in 1994 Fuyuki City with the Key of All Spirits, learning that he could use it to contract supernatural beings and gain their powers. Facing life without money, identity, or Japanese fluency in a city connected to the Fourth Holy Grail War, he used his first Contract Spirit draw and received Yoshikage Kira.

• Roland discovered that the Key of All Spirits had bound itself to him and transported him to another world.
• Roland learned that the ring could grant powers through contracts with Contract Spirits, and that he could seek them out to increase his access to its abilities.
• Roland explored a park and read a newspaper, identifying his location as Fuyuki City in 1994.
• Roland realized he had arrived in Fuyuki during the era of the Fourth Holy Grail War and worried about surviving without money, legal identity, or Japanese fluency.
• Roland used his one available Contract Spirit draw and received Yoshikage Kira.

Roland established a contract with Yoshikage Kira and used its abilities to secure a convenience store job in Fuyuki City. The chapter ended with Roland admiring his hands and addressing his newly manifested Stand, Killer Queen.

• Roland interviewed for a convenience store job and started work that day.
• The Key of All Spirits revealed Yoshikage Kira’s contract abilities, influence, and assimilation requirement to Roland.
• Roland considered the contract’s benefits and risks, including Killer Queen and the urge to maintain a stable life.
• After the manager left, Roland admired his hands and spoke to the manifested Killer Queen.

Roland tested Killer Queen’s strength and considered how it could help him survive the Fourth Holy Grail War, while deciding to keep enjoying his peaceful life in Fuyuki City. He planned to recover an escaped contracted spirit if the opportunity arose, then leave for a new world once his authorization allowed it.

• Roland explored Killer Queen’s power and realized its abilities still had untapped potential.
• He decided not to grow overconfident and focused on living peacefully in Fuyuki City rather than joining the Holy Grail War.
• Roland considered whether an escaped contracted spirit had attached itself to one of the war’s participants and weighed intervening if he found one.
• Roland’s break ended, and he returned to work, putting off plans to move until after payday.

Roland struggled against Yoshikage Kira’s influence while working at a convenience store, where he met Aoi Tohsaka and her daughter, Rin Tohsaka. Hearing that they would soon visit the Zenjo Family, he realized the Fourth Holy Grail War was about to begin.

• Roland fought the urge to obsess over customers’ hands as Yoshikage Kira’s influence grew stronger.
• Aoi Tohsaka entered the store with Rin Tohsaka, and Roland became captivated by Aoi’s hands.
• Rin tried to sneak a chocolate bar into the purchase, but Aoi gently corrected her and then agreed to buy it.
• Aoi told Rin they would soon stay with the Zenjo Family while Rin’s father prepared for something important.
• Roland recognized Aoi and Rin Tohsaka and realized the Fourth Holy Grail War was about to begin.

Roland searched Fuyuki City for signs of escaped contract spirits while using what he knew of the Holy Grail War to estimate its timeline. After finishing his work, he encountered a drunken heir and a black cat that ran into his arms.

• Roland reasoned that the Holy Grail War would begin around the following week and continued looking for traces of escaped contract spirits around Fuyuki City.
• The Key of All Spirits gave Roland no information, leaving him unsure whether the spirit was weak or its effects were already hidden by gaps in what he knew.
• A drunken blond young man complained that the Fujimura Group would not buy his ancestral house, despite his attempts to sell it for less than its value.
• The blond young man threw a beer can at a black cat, startling it into running around a corner.
• Roland caught the fleeing cat by the scruff, and it calmly rubbed its head against his hand.

Roland encountered a blond thug who tried to rob him of a case containing custom hand models. After the thug injured his own wrist through Roland’s mysterious power, Roland beat him and insisted that he only wanted to live a quiet life.

• The blond saw Roland’s black cat act affectionately toward him and decided to shake him down for money.
• Roland declined the blond’s offer of beer and tried to leave the alley.
• The blond grabbed Roland’s paper bag, spilling a case of realistic custom hand models onto the ground.
• The blond realized the hands were models and reached for a beer can, but his wrist suddenly burst apart.
• Roland put the hand models away, kicked the blond back into the alley, and stomped on his injured wrist.

Roland killed the blond thug and realized he had been suppressing his own desires while trying to imitate Yoshikage Kira’s idea of peace. After finding a deed to a suitable empty house, he took it as a sign that Great Fortune was helping him and headed toward a new life.

• Roland tortured and killed the blond thug with Killer Queen, then used his Stand to remove the evidence.
• Roland reflected on the loss of his parents, the strain of surviving in another world, and how he had mistaken Yoshikage Kira’s restraint for the kind of peace he wanted.
• Roland decided to keep a stable life while decisively eliminating anyone who made him uneasy.
• Roland found a property deed among the thug’s belongings for an empty Japanese-style house with a Tool Shed and garden.
• Roland took the deed and left the alley, pleased that his luck had provided a place to stay.

Roland went for a morning run with Kirei Kotomine, who had approached him simply to find a running companion. Afterward, Roland met Ryunosuke Uryu at a vending machine and realized that malice seemed to draw evil people together.

• Roland decided to go for a morning run and met Kirei Kotomine, a priest from Fuyuki Church.
• Kirei invited Roland to run with him, and Roland accepted despite suspecting that Kirei might be investigating him.
• After their run, Kirei explained that he planned to practice Bajiquan and agreed to run with Roland again the next day.
• Roland discovered he had left his money at home and gave up on buying a drink.
• Ryunosuke Uryu bought Roland a bottle of barley tea and left, prompting Roland to recognize him and suspect that evil people were drawn to one another.

Roland continued his casual runs with Kirei Kotomine, who realized Roland had found the answer he sought and wanted to become his friend. Roland then began working alongside new hire Ryunosuke Uryu, while noticing his nails had started growing at an alarming rate.

• Roland told Kirei Kotomine he was busy with extra shifts, and Kirei recognized Roland's sense of purpose and wanted to befriend him.
• Roland sensed that trouble was coming but dismissed the premonition and went to work.
• The manager introduced Ryunosuke Uryu as Roland's new coworker.
• Roland recognized Ryunosuke as a serial killer who treated his crimes as art, despite his friendly manner and convenience-store job.
• Roland noticed that his neatly trimmed nails had grown another centimeter.

Ryunosuke Uryu became fascinated by his coworker Roland and planned to make him a victim, but Roland followed him home and killed him first. The chapter ended with Roland eliminating Uryu using Killer Queen.

• Ryunosuke Uryu invited Roland for a drink, but Roland refused and went straight home after work.
• Roland watched Uryu leave the convenience store and decided to eliminate him after learning he was a serial killer.
• Ryunosuke Uryu returned to his secluded house and found his gruesome creations, then noticed someone had left the front door ajar.
• Roland used an invisible force to seize Uryu by the throat and lift him off the floor.
• Roland introduced himself and Killer Queen struck through Ryunosuke Uryu's heart.

Roland found Ryunosuke Uryu’s incomplete summoning circle and notebook, then destroyed Ryunosuke’s house after taking his severed hand. When he tried to erase the hand, its Command Spells transferred to him, making Roland an unwilling Master in the Holy Grail War.

• Roland found Ryunosuke Uryu’s incomplete Magic Circle and took his ancestor’s magecraft notebook.
• Ryunosuke, dying from his injuries, received three Command Spells from the Holy Grail and reached for Roland.
• Roland cut off Ryunosuke’s wrist, left him a five-hundred-yen coin, and destroyed the house with Killer Queen.
• Roland noticed the Command Spells on Ryunosuke’s severed hand and tried to turn it to ashes with Killer Queen.
• The Command Spells escaped the ashes and branded themselves onto the back of Roland’s hand, making him a Master.

After accepting that he could not safely withdraw from the Holy Grail War, Roland decided to participate and sought a way to secure magical energy and support. He identified a potential ally and met Zouken Matou in Fuyuki City's central park to negotiate.

• Roland considered the risks of withdrawing from the Holy Grail War and decided to participate.
• Roland weighed turning a mage into a Contract Spirit as a source of magical energy, but judged the approach unreliable.
• Roland concluded that he needed an ambitious ally willing to provide magical energy and a suitable holy relic while letting him keep the Command Spell.
• Roland met Zouken Matou in Fuyuki City's central park and said he had come to negotiate.

Roland demonstrated Killer Queen’s power to Zouken Matou and secured the Matou Family’s help for the Holy Grail War. In return, Zouken asked Roland to prioritize killing a Master he called a shameless thief from the Clock Tower.

• Zouken Matou examined Roland’s book and realized Roland had no Magic Circuits, then tried to infect him with worm familiars hidden inside it.
• Roland used Killer Queen to destroy the book and its worms, then revealed his three Command Spells and explained Killer Queen’s ability.
• Zouken agreed to provide Roland with a holy relic, financial support, information, and a channel for magical energy.
• Roland offered to let Zouken make a wish on the Holy Grail, but Zouken instead asked him to prioritize killing a particular Master.
• Zouken identified that target as a shameless thief from the Clock Tower.

Roland learned that Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia had failed to steal the Greater Grail during the Third Holy Grail War and was now participating in the Fourth. Realizing that a Contract Spirit had likely caused the altered events and might still be present in Fuyuki, Roland decided he had to get involved in the war.

• Zouken Matou told Roland that Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia had stolen a holy relic and was now a Master in the Fourth Holy Grail War.
• Roland recognized Darnic as the mage who had stolen the Greater Grail in another worldline, but concluded that he had failed to do so in this one.
• Roland asked what Heroic Spirit the Einzbern family had summoned in the previous war, and Zouken Matou recalled that the weak, pitch-black spirit had been killed early.
• Roland accepted Zouken Matou's condition, asked him to send assistance details, and left because it was nearly time for work.
• As he walked away, Roland reasoned that a Contract Spirit had altered the Third Holy Grail War and might still be present in Fuyuki, giving him a reason to join the current war.

Roland investigated the unknown Contract Spirit and narrowed its possible hosts to the Greater Grail, Darnic, or the Einzberns. Meanwhile, Kiritsugu Emiya briefed Irisviel on the confirmed Masters and explained that Darnic and Kayneth were poised for a conflict over their places in the Holy Grail War.

• Roland decided against trying to turn Zouken Matou into a Contract Spirit and considered the Greater Grail, Darnic, and the Einzberns as possible hosts for the unknown Contract Spirit.
• Kiritsugu Emiya told Irisviel that the Tohsaka Master had once taken in a Holy Church disciple who later received Command Spells, making that former disciple a dangerous target.
• Kiritsugu Emiya dismissed the Matou Master as an amateur and described Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia as a powerful, politically ruthless mage who had founded the expanding Yggdmillennia family.
• Irisviel asked how old Darnic was, and Kiritsugu Emiya explained that Darnic had likely been preparing for the Fourth Holy Grail War for years.
• Kiritsugu Emiya said Kayneth had bought an additional place in the war, apparently to settle his rivalry with Darnic.

Kiritsugu Emiya and Irisviel discussed their strategy for the Holy Grail War before Irisviel revealed her fears about Illya’s extraordinary abilities and the strange force that shaped her. Irisviel suspected an intangible demon from the previous war had attached itself to Great-Grandfather.

• Kiritsugu Emiya told Irisviel to prioritize Darnic, then consider the Tohsaka and Matou families, and noted that the identity of the sixth Master remained unknown.
• Kiritsugu Emiya and Irisviel watched Illya play in the snow as she breathed fire and melted it without an incantation.
• Irisviel described Illya’s unusual fire and cold resistance, strength, and ability to unleash powerful attacks, which Great-Grandfather had dismissed as normal.
• Irisviel explained that Great-Grandfather had used intangible magical remnants from the previous Holy Grail War as a blueprint for Illya’s creation.
• Irisviel said Illya had lately been drawn toward Fuyuki and revealed her theory that an intangible spirit or demon had traveled through the war’s connections and attached itself to Great-Grandfather.

Roland assessed the likely Masters and holy relics for the Holy Grail War, while Waver Velvet, enraged after Kayneth humiliated him, considered stealing Kayneth’s parcel. Darnic confronted Waver and asked to see it.

• Roland received Zouken Matou’s message about arranging a magical energy supply and a holy relic, then reviewed intelligence on Kayneth and Darnic.
• Roland judged Kayneth’s arrogance a liability and wondered whether Waver would still steal his holy relic with Darnic nearby.
• After Kayneth tore apart Waver’s thesis in class, Waver stormed out and fumed about being dismissed.
• Waver accidentally received a parcel addressed to Kayneth and realized it might contain Kayneth’s holy relic.
• Darnic appeared, recognized the parcel, and asked Waver to let him see it.

Darnic tried to recruit Waver and obtain Kayneth’s package, but Waver refused and Kayneth intervened. After explaining Darnic’s motives and criticizing Waver’s judgment, Kayneth invited him to assist in the Holy Grail War, giving Waver a chance to prove himself.

• Darnic praised Waver’s talent and invited him to join Yggdmillennia while asking to see Kayneth’s package.
• Waver refused to hand over the package, and Kayneth arrived to confront Darnic and send him away.
• Kayneth told Waver that Darnic was known for manipulating people and explained Yggdmillennia’s risks and Darnic’s formidable talent.
• Kayneth criticized Waver’s judgment, then offered him a chance to assist in the Holy Grail War.
• Waver eagerly accepted Kayneth’s offer and vowed to prove himself.

Roland enjoyed a peaceful day in Fuyuki City before Zouken Matou visited to discuss his preparations for the Holy Grail War. That evening, Kirei Kotomine surprised Roland by asking him what life was.

• Roland relaxed in Central Park, ate a homemade sandwich, and reflected on his plans for the Holy Grail War.
• Zouken Matou criticized Roland for being idle and asked which class of Heroic Spirit he wanted to summon.
• Roland chose Caster, and Zouken Matou promised to provide a suitable holy relic and a source of magical energy.
• Kirei Kotomine visited Roland's store to buy mapo tofu meals, then solemnly asked Roland, "What... is life?"

Roland advised Kirei Kotomine to accept his true nature and seek the pleasure that made him happy, and the two became friends. Kirei then returned to Tokiomi Tohsaka’s workshop, where he revealed Assassin and began considering whether betraying his teacher could satisfy him.

• Kirei Kotomine asked Roland to guide him in discovering his true nature, and Roland told him that self-discipline was only a means to control desire.
• Roland urged Kirei Kotomine to accept even malicious pleasure and love himself, and Kirei asked to return for further guidance.
• Roland shook Kirei Kotomine’s hand and called him a friend, then worried that his own influence had hastened Tokiomi Tohsaka’s misfortune.
• Kirei Kotomine reported that he had summoned Assassin and found no surveillance near the Tohsaka Family residence, then ordered Assassin to reveal himself to Tokiomi Tohsaka.
• Tokiomi Tohsaka praised Kirei Kotomine’s support, while Kirei wondered whether betraying his teacher at the right moment could satisfy his desires.