Chapter Summaries

Kariya Matou returned to the Matou Residence after a year of brutal modifications, expecting Zouken Matou to honor his promise and spare Sakura Matou from the Insect Cave. Zouken revealed that Sakura had been psychologically traumatized and secretly planned to place her under another man's control, leaving her fate uncertain.

• Kariya Matou reported that his insect modifications were complete and demanded to see Sakura Matou.
• Zouken Matou brought Sakura in, and Kariya learned that although she had avoided the Insect Cave, Zouken's terrifying instruction had left her withdrawn and nearly mute.
• Zouken Matou tormented Kariya with his insects, and Kariya vowed to kill Darnic in exchange for Sakura's release from the Matou Family.
• Kariya Matou returned to the Underground Workshop to prepare Berserker's Holy Relic, while Zouken discovered Sakura could use her magic circuits to sustain Caster.
• Zouken Matou planned to introduce Sakura to a new man and make him responsible for her, despite promising that she could leave the Matou Family.

Kiritsugu Emiya recalled Irisviel’s warning that the Holy Grail War and Ahad’s changed behavior might be linked as he examined the Einzberns’ chapel. Ahad gave Kiritsugu the King of Knights’ scabbard to help him summon the Grail, while Irisviel glimpsed a yellow shadow moving from Ahad onto the relic.

• Kiritsugu Emiya studied the chapel’s stained glass, including an image of a coiled shadow beside three Eastern figures that Great-Grandfather believed could save humanity.
• Kiritsugu remembered Irisviel telling him that Ahad had changed after the last war and might have been influenced by something connected to the Holy Grail.
• Ahad arrived with Irisviel and presented Kiritsugu with the golden scabbard of the King of Knights as his final assistance.
• Ahad urged Kiritsugu to summon the Holy Grail, and Kiritsugu accepted the scabbard without responding to his fervor.
• Irisviel briefly saw a bright yellow shadow move from Ahad onto the scabbard and coil around it.

Darnic failed to awaken the Sheep Talisman and prepared to summon a Heroic Spirit, determined to win the Holy Grail War before his soul-consuming research eroded his personality. Meanwhile, Tokiomi Tohsaka learned that Lancer had manifested and celebrated with Kirei Kotomine, confident that his newly arrived holy relic would secure victory.

• Darnic used eleven homunculi and the workshop’s magical energy in an attempt to awaken the Sheep Talisman, but the artifact remained unresponsive.
• Darnic recalled how he and Zouken Matou had obtained animal-engraved runestones during the Third Holy Grail War, when the Lesser Grail shattered and the Greater Grail’s energy surged.
• Darnic worried that Zouken Matou and Kayneth would threaten his plans, and resolved to summon a Heroic Spirit with the homunculi he had drained.
• Kirei Kotomine brought Tokiomi Tohsaka intelligence that Lancer had manifested as the second Servant.
• Tokiomi Tohsaka showed Kirei Kotomine an ancient, snake-shaped fossil holy relic and declared that they would win the Holy Grail War.

Kiritsugu Emiya summoned Saber for the Holy Grail War while Irisviel and Artoria cared for Illya in the Einzbern Forest. The chapter ended with Illya breathing fire and declaring that her father had been born.

• Kiritsugu Emiya summoned Saber, who appeared in silver-white armor and asked whether he was her Master.
• Artoria asked Irisviel why Kiritsugu had gone ahead alone, and Irisviel explained that she trusted his abilities and cold manner.
• Artoria told Irisviel she could call her Artoria, and Irisviel agreed that they must win the war.
• Irisviel noticed Illya breathing streams of flame while staring toward Fuyuki City.
• Illya returned to her senses and told Irisviel that Daddy had been born.

Kirei Kotomine warned Roland that he would be away for the Holy Grail War, while secretly ordering Assassin to protect Roland and help him betray Tokiomi Tohsaka. As Roland finished his shift, Maiya Hisau confronted him at gunpoint and ordered him to come with her.

• Risei Kotomine told Kirei Kotomine to have Assassin watch the airport and warned him to stop his morning runs during the war.
• Kirei Kotomine visited Roland at work, said he would be away, and offered him shelter at the Church.
• Assassin suggested eliminating Roland, but Kirei ordered him to protect Roland even if he became an enemy.
• Kirei admitted that imagining Tokiomi Tohsaka dying excited him, and Assassin pledged to bring him Tokiomi's head.
• Maiya Hisau aimed her gun at Roland and ordered him to come with her, while Roland politely asked to request time off first.

Maiya Hisau discovered that convenience store clerk Roland was a Master and tried to capture him for Kiritsugu Emiya, but Roland revealed his supernatural power and overwhelmed her. The Key of All Spirits detected one nearby Contract Spirit as Roland changed his mind about what to do with Maiya.

• Maiya Hisau spotted Kirei Kotomine at a convenience store and recognized Roland’s Command Spells, identifying him as the Seventh Master.
• Maiya Hisau forced Roland to leave work and brought him at gunpoint to an unfinished building where she had arranged to meet Kiritsugu Emiya.
• Roland unnerved Maiya Hisau, and her gun crumbled to dust when she tried to shoot him.
• Roland caught Maiya Hisau’s punch and used Killer Queen to break her arm.
• Roland checked the Key of All Spirits and saw that one Contract Spirit was nearby.

Roland captured Maiya Hisau and forced her to confirm that Kiritsugu Emiya had summoned Saber, who was staying with Irisviel. He revealed that he had planted a second bomb on Kiritsugu and moved to continue questioning Maiya while it targeted him.

• Roland recognized Maiya Hisau as a link to Kiritsugu Emiya and realized his missing Contract Spirit was on Kiritsugu.
• Roland showed Maiya how Killer Queen could turn objects into bombs and threatened Kiritsugu to make her answer his questions.
• Maiya confirmed that Kiritsugu's Heroic Spirit was Saber and that Saber was staying with Irisviel, who was posing as the Master.
• Maiya fired a weak magic bullet as a feint and tried to escape, but Roland saw through her plan.
• Roland revealed that he had sent another bomb to attack Kiritsugu during their conversation and approached Maiya to resume questioning her.

Roland threatened Maiya Hisau, who tried to buy time for Kiritsugu Emiya by refusing to cooperate. As Kiritsugu approached the safe house, a strange toy car reached his feet and exploded.

• Roland mocked Maiya Hisau’s plan to trade her life for Kiritsugu Emiya’s safety and moved to kill her.
• Kiritsugu Emiya received no answer when he called Maiya Hisau over the radio and cautiously approached the safe house.
• Kiritsugu used a Mystic Code to reveal invisible tracks leading toward him.
• Kiritsugu drank a potion that let him see the approaching object as a toy-like car.
• The car told Kiritsugu to look at it, then detonated in a thunderous explosion.

Kiritsugu Emiya survived Sheer Heart Attack’s explosion but struggled to evade its heat-tracking pursuit. He reached Maiya Hisau just as Roland killed her, and learned too late that Roland was the seventh Master with explosive abilities.

• Kiritsugu Emiya used Time Alter to escape Sheer Heart Attack’s explosion, suffering severe internal injuries.
• Sheer Heart Attack pursued Kiritsugu, who lured it away with heated bullets before his magecraft exposed his location again.
• Roland defeated Maiya Hisau and sent her crashing through a door near the exit.
• Kiritsugu reached Maiya, who tried to warn him that Roland was the seventh Master and could turn anything he touched into an explosion.
• Roland activated Killer Queen, causing Maiya to shatter into smoke before she could finish her warning.

Roland confronted Kiritsugu Emiya after killing Maiya Hisau, hoping to take the Contract Spirit. Kiritsugu attacked with guns and revealed he had countered Sheer Heart Attack by setting nearby buildings ablaze, leaving Roland to recognize the ruthless lengths Kiritsugu would go to for the Holy Grail.

• Roland threatened Kiritsugu Emiya and told him he had already killed Maiya Hisau.
• Kiritsugu Emiya advanced on Roland without using a Command Spell, while Roland challenged him to come closer.
• Kiritsugu Emiya fired a handgun, but Killer Queen caught the bullets and dropped them to the floor.
• Kiritsugu Emiya attacked with a machine pistol, and Roland retreated behind cover under Killer Queen's protection.
• Kiritsugu Emiya explained that he had distracted Sheer Heart Attack with a hotter target, and Roland saw that flames had spread through nearby wooden buildings.

Kiritsugu Emiya attacked Roland with an Origin Bullet, but Killer Queen deflected it because Roland was not a magus. Trapped between Roland and Sheer Heart Attack, Kiritsugu gave up Avalon in exchange for being allowed to leave, and Roland recovered the Contract Spirit.

• Kiritsugu Emiya used a grenade as a distraction, then fired an Origin Bullet at Roland.
• Killer Queen knocked the bullet aside, leaving Roland’s hand temporarily injured and Kiritsugu realizing his trump card would not cripple him.
• Roland revealed that Sheer Heart Attack had returned behind Kiritsugu and offered to let him go in exchange for Avalon.
• Kiritsugu handed over Avalon and asked the Seventh Master’s name; Roland identified himself and recovered the Soul of the Holy Lord.

Roland secured Avalon and the ability to travel away from Fuyuki, then left Kiritsugu Emiya believing he had escaped. Roland had already touched a door handle with Killer Queen, and Kiritsugu died when he grabbed it, leaving Roland with Kiritsugu’s Origin Bullets and the Holy Grail War without one of its Masters.

• Roland obtained Avalon, secured a Contract Spirit, and gained the ability to travel away from Fuyuki whenever he wished.
• Roland let Kiritsugu Emiya go, and Kiritsugu planned to expose Roland to the Church and the Mage's Association.
• Kiritsugu realized Killer Queen might detonate anything it touched and used Time Alter to release the door handle.
• Roland revealed that Killer Queen had touched the handle, killing Kiritsugu before he could fight back.
• Roland returned to the hideout, collected Kiritsugu’s Origin Bullets, and prepared to enjoy a peaceful night.

After killing Kiritsugu Emiya, Roland asked Zouken Matou whether he would accept a price that might distort him in exchange for reaching his goal. Roland concluded that he would give up his humanity to achieve eternal peace of mind, while Irisviel took Kiritsugu’s place as Master and continued the war.

• Irisviel forged a new contract with Saber, took Kiritsugu Emiya’s Command Spells, and vowed to continue the Holy Grail War for Illya’s sake.
• Roland quit his convenience-store job and considered the danger of making a contract with Shendu’s soul as a Contract Spirit.
• Roland told Zouken Matou that he had killed Kiritsugu Emiya, and Zouken dismissed the threat posed by Einzbern’s replacement Master.
• Zouken Matou explained that he would accept any cost to pursue longevity, then advised Roland to lower his ambitions for peace of mind.
• Roland decided that human limits and unforeseen disruptions made the cost irrelevant and declared that he was giving up his humanity.

Roland took Sakura Matou from Zouken Matou under their agreement and made clear that he would keep her rather than promise her freedom. Back at home, he used the Key of All Spirits to contract with the Holy Lord, but the process overwhelmed him and left his eyes glowing scarlet as he collapsed.

• Zouken Matou gave Sakura Matou to Roland as his magical energy source and asked him to prioritize killing Darnic during the Holy Grail War.
• Roland left the Matou Family residence with Sakura Matou and told her he would not let her return to either the Matou or Tohsaka Family.
• Sakura Matou accepted Roland's terms and said she would stay by his side as long as he needed her.
• At home, Roland asked Sakura Matou to wait while he used the Key of All Spirits to form a contract with the Holy Lord.
• The contract's power overwhelmed Roland, who collapsed onto Sakura Matou as his eyes filled with scarlet light.

While Roland remained unconscious, Sakura Matou reflected on her abandonment and found comfort in believing that he needed her, awakening a tender desire to protect him. After Roland woke, he discovered in a mirror that his reflection had become the dragon-headed form of the Soul of the Holy Lord.

• Sakura Matou recalled how the Tohsaka Family had given her up and how the Matou Family had left her feeling unwanted and without a home.
• Sakura Matou realized that Roland was weakened and needed her care, and she grew determined to protect him.
• Roland woke with his head resting in Sakura Matou's arms and learned from her that he had been unconscious for less than two minutes.
• Roland looked in a mirror and saw the dragon-headed form of the contract spirit, recognizing that the Soul of the Holy Lord's power now belonged to him.

Roland examined his transformed body and discovered the immense physical and supernatural powers granted by the Soul of the Holy Lord. After reviewing the Contract Spirit’s abilities, he recognized that its assimilation requirement was resurrection.

• Roland tested his improved eyesight and strength, then leaped effortlessly to the ceiling.
• Roland discovered that his breath could unleash flames powerful enough to melt the mirror and that his voice resonated without seeming to pass through his vocal cords.
• Sakura Matou asked whether Roland was all right, and Shadowkhan servants appeared with mirrors, surrounding him as he studied his dragon-headed reflection.
• Roland read the Soul of the Holy Lord’s Contract Spirit information and learned its granted abilities and resurrection assimilation requirement.

Roland learned that the Soul of the Holy Lord's assimilation condition required him to acquire a body suited to his soul, giving him another reason to win the Holy Grail War. As he prepared to summon a Heroic Spirit, he rejected relying on chance and had the Shadowkhan retrieve a Holy Relic.

• Roland used the Wisdom of a Thousand to discover that Shendu's assimilation condition meant possessing a physical body that matched his soul.
• Roland decided he needed to win the war and told Sakura Matou to prepare the summoning ritual.
• Roland drew the summoning circle and examined the Mercury Sword that Zouken Matou had provided as a possible catalyst.
• Roland worried about summoning an untrustworthy Caster and ordered the Shadowkhan to bring him a suitable Holy Relic.
• The Shadowkhan returned with a glowing golden sheepskin.

Roland summoned Medea as his Caster and discovered that he possessed an abundant supply of magical energy. After earning Medea’s trust with a Command Spell, he realized she had appeared in an unexpected, youthful form: Medea Lily.

• Roland summoned Medea, while Sakura Matou watched without having her magical energy drained.
• Medea recognized Roland’s extraordinary true ether and questioned why he had brought Sakura as a magical energy battery.
• Medea revealed her despair and challenged Roland to dissolve their contract, so he used a Command Spell to let her break it if she ever felt betrayed.
• Medea accepted Roland’s trust, approached him affectionately, and revealed a youthful appearance that led him to call her Medea Lily.

Roland summoned Medea, whose young self carried memories of her future, and she began setting up a concealed base while growing closer to him and Sakura Matou. Roland unexpectedly used his Stand to erase Medea’s barrier and wondered if the effect counted as a Stand attack.

• Medea explained that she was the young Medea with memories and legends from her future, and Roland suspected his innate nobility had affected the summoning.
• Sakura Matou clung jealously to Roland, then asked to sleep beside him because she was afraid to be alone; Roland agreed and took her upstairs.
• Medea followed Roland, saying his room would make a suitable anchor for a concealment barrier, and began hiding their magical energy.
• As Medea’s barrier formed, Roland’s Stand seized it and made every line of magical energy vanish.
• Medea asked whether an enemy had broken in, and Roland summoned his Stand and called the incident a Stand attack.

Roland examined Killer Queen’s transformation after absorbing Shendu’s soul and learned that its explosions could now destroy mana Barriers. He and Medea prepared their base and decided to investigate the Einzbern backup Master and the Heroic Spirit they had summoned.

• Roland summoned Killer Queen and found it far stronger, with its abilities still developing after its transformation.
• Roland discovered Killer Queen could destroy mana Barriers by touching them, and Medea began constructing a temple at their Leyline Site.
• Medea explained the Holy Grail’s true purpose and praised the Command Spell system, while Roland considered what to do without an original plot to follow.
• Roland said he had sent Shadowkhan to monitor the known Masters and planned to check the Einzbern backup Master and identify their Heroic Spirit.
• Roland suspected the Einzbern summoning might have produced an unexpected Saber, making their faction a potential threat in the Holy Grail War.