The night in Miyama-cho had an air of capitalist comfort even in the glow of its streetlights.
Yoru Hayashi stepped out of the villa district, shivering slightly and tightening his thin short-sleeved shirt against the early winter wind.
Though his body had been strengthened by the system so he would not catch a cold, wandering around with bare arms in this weather was an easy way to get stopped and questioned as a vagrant by patrolling police.
“Whatever.
Business first.”
Yoru ducked into an empty alley and called out in his mind, *System, boot up that Catalyst Search Radar for me!*
[Ding!
Consumable item [Catalyst Search Radar] activated.
Scanning the entirety of Fuyuki City…]
The next second, a minimap popped up directly on his retina, resembling the lower-left radar from early *Grand Theft Auto* games.
On the map, a massive golden dot flashed wildly less than two kilometers away, shining so brightly it almost eclipsed the surrounding streets.
Yoru zoomed in on the dot’s location, and a thoroughly wicked smile crept onto his face.
“Well, well.
This radar really knows what it’s doing.
Isn’t this location…
the Tohsaka estate over in Miyama-cho?”
Yoru almost laughed out loud.
In the setting of the Fourth Holy Grail War, Tokiomi Tohsaka had pulled strings across his entire network and spent an exorbitant fortune to unearth an ancient fossil from the distant Middle East: the shed skin of the first snake in history.
That was the absolute catalyst used to summon the oldest King of Heroes in human history, the “Golden Archer” himself—Gilgamesh!
“Oh, Tokiomi Tohsaka…
you could throw your own flesh-and-blood daughter into a pit of worms just as consumable material for a broken cup.
Since you played dirty first, don’t blame me for playing dirtier.”
Shoving his hands into his pockets, Yoru strutted along the radar’s guidance, heading straight toward the lavish Western-style Tohsaka mansion.
“Your out-of-print SSR summon ticket is mine today.
What do they call it?
Karma’s a bitch!”
…
Ten minutes later, outside the Tohsaka estate’s perimeter wall.
Unlike the gloomy, traditional Japanese mansion of the Matou clan, the Tohsaka estate was built with grand Western architecture.
The towering iron fence was draped in ivy, and not a single soul was in sight, exuding an aura of “elegance” that warned strangers to stay away.
However, Yoru knew that beneath this seemingly tranquil exterior lay a defensive bounded field meticulously constructed by generations of Tohsaka heads.
Never mind climbing the wall—if an ordinary thief stepped within three meters of the gate, the bounded field’s magical traps would either incinerate them to ash or fry them into extra-crispy chicken with high-voltage lightning.
“Tch, not bad on the anti-theft measures.”
Standing outside the iron fence, Yoru gingerly poked an ivy leaf with a single finger.
*Crack—BOOM!*
Without the slightest warning, a violent burst of crimson lightning as thick as an adult’s thigh blasted out of empty air, striking Yoru square on the forehead with blinding speed.
Before Yoru could even utter a “Holy cr—,” his entire body was instantly reduced to a heap of charred ashes, scattering into the wind.
…
[Failure Count: 16]
[Cause of Death: Attempted to tank the Tohsaka family bounded field’s anti-air lightning strike with bare flesh, resulting in physical cremation.]
[System Evaluation: A textbook performance of a moth darting into a flame.
Next time, bringing cumin and chili powder is recommended.]
[Death Settlement Rewards Issued: Magic Resistance (Rank D → Rank C)!
Lightning Resistance drastically increased!
Fire Resistance slightly increased!]
Inside the pure white system space, Yoru snapped his eyes open.
He frantically patted his newly restored body while cursing at the top of his lungs.
“Tokiomi Tohsaka, you sneaky old bastard!
Putting such a high-voltage grid on your yard wall—aren’t you afraid of your electric bill?!”
Complaining aside, when he felt the substantial surge of Magic Resistance in his body, Yoru’s expression instantly shifted from fury to sheer ecstasy.
“System, send me back!
Even if I get turned into a lightning rod today, I’m cleaning out Tokiomi’s vault!”
With a flash of white light, Yoru returned to the Tohsaka front gate.
This time, he directly activated the forty Magic Circuits in his body.
*Crack!*
The familiar crimson lightning struck down once more!
Yet this time, armed with Lightning Resistance and Rank C Magic Resistance, Yoru forcibly withstood the violent burst of energy.
Aside from his hair standing on end like a Super Saiyan who had touched a live wire, he merely felt a slight numbness all over, as if he had received a zap of heavy static electricity.
“Is that all?
Is that it?!
Old bastard Tokiomi, the times have changed!”
Grinning wildly, Yoru flipped over the wall and landed firmly on the Tohsaka estate’s manicured lawn.
With the radar’s pinpoint guidance, he had no need to wander like a headless fly.
Dodging a few roaming gem familiars, he slipped directly to a ventilation shaft at the back of the mansion, smashed the louvered vent with a single punch, and slithered like an eel into the Tohsaka family’s underground workshop.
Unlike the foul-smelling worm pit of the Matou house, the Tohsaka workshop was spotless.
The air carried a faint aroma of sandalwood and expensive red wine, while the walls were lined with precious grimoires, raw gemstones, and alchemical apparatuses.
At the deepest part of the workshop, resting upon a crystal display stand cloaked in a three-layered crimson bounded field, was an ancient mahogany box.
The golden glow on his radar pulsed frantically toward that very box.
“Found it.
The fossilized skin of the world’s first snake.”
Yoru walked up to the display stand.
Looking at the three layers of alarm barriers—far more dangerous than the ones on the outer wall—a roguish sneer curled on his lips.
“An elegant magus needs to analyze the spell formula to dismantle a bounded field.
But as for me, I believe only in brute force creating miracles.”
He drew a deep breath, ruthlessly wringing every drop of magical energy from his forty Magic Circuits and channeling it all into his right fist.
Coupled with the devastating power mechanics of his Bajiquan mastery, a miniature sonic boom cracked over his knuckles.
“Bajiquan: Collapsing Fist!”
“Shatter!”
Yoru drove his fist straight into the outermost magical circuit of the bounded field.
*Crack—BANG BANG BANG!*
With a tremendous crash resembling shattering glass, Tokiomi Tohsaka’s triple protective barrier lasted less than two seconds under this completely unreasonable bombardment before collapsing entirely amid an ear-piercing surge of magical feedback!
A shrill alarm instantly echoed throughout the entire Tohsaka mansion.
“Not much time.”
Yoru flipped the mahogany box open, glanced at the fossilized ancient snake scales sealed inside, and shoved it into his pants pocket without hesitation.
Before leaving, he glanced at the fountain pen and fine parchment sitting on the nearby desk.
As a polite transmigrator, leaving a note after taking someone’s belongings was only proper, right?
Yoru grabbed the pen, scribbled down several lines of large characters, slapped the parchment onto the empty crystal display stand, and sprinted back the way he came without looking back.
…
Half a minute after the alarm sounded.
In the second-floor study of the Tohsaka mansion.
Tokiomi Tohsaka, dressed in a burgundy luxury suit and holding half a glass of premium red wine, had been leaning back in his leather swivel chair with his eyes closed, listening to a Mozart symphony playing from a gramophone.
When the piercing alarm cut through the elegant music, Tokiomi snapped his eyes open, a flash of fury crossing his usually composed face.
“The underground workshop’s bounded field was breached by force?
Impossible!
In Fuyuki City, besides the Matous and the Einzberns, who possesses the audacity and the power to shatter my triple protection in an instant?!”
Tokiomi did not even bother setting down his wine glass.
He grabbed his ruby magecraft cane from the desk and sprinted down the spiral staircase toward the basement with an uncharacteristic, frantic pace that completely betrayed his elegant exterior.
Panting as he burst into the workshop, he saw the crystal display stand shattered across the floor and the empty mahogany box.
The Tohsaka family head, who had spent over a decade planning for the Holy Grail War, felt his mind buzz.
His vision went dark, and his heart felt as though it had been viciously stabbed.
“My…
my catalyst!
The supreme catalyst I paid an astronomical price to obtain through a friend, all to summon the oldest king…!!”
Tokiomi’s hands trembled so violently that the red wine spilled across his expensive suit, but he had no mind to care.
Just then, he noticed the piece of parchment left behind on the shattered stand.
Trembling, Tokiomi stepped forward and picked it up.
Written in an arrogantly scrawled modern hand was a message:
[“Respected Old Man Tokiomi: I’ll gladly take your limited-edition SSR summon ticket.
Thanks for the treat.
Also, Sakura is rolling with me now.
Hope you place well in the Holy Grail War (though if you can’t even make it past qualifiers, pretend I didn’t say anything).
— Signed, Fuyuki City’s #1 Pure Love God of War.”]
*Crack.*
The priceless crystal wine glass in Tokiomi’s hand was crushed to shards by his sheer grip.
Red wine mixed with the blood trickling from his cut palm, dripping steadily onto the expensive carpet.
His face, which had always maintained an air of elegance and composure, was now entirely contorted, blue veins throbbing wildly against his forehead.
Tokiomi threw his head back and let out a heart-wrenching roar that stripped away every shred of aristocratic dignity:
“Who was it—?!
You shameless thief!
I, Tokiomi Tohsaka, swear to tear you into ten thousand pieces!!!”
…
Meanwhile.
In the luxury villa district of Miyama-cho.
Kariya Matou, wearing an apron, was clumsily reheating a freshly delivered takeout pizza in the kitchen.
Sakura sat obediently at the dining table, swinging her little legs clad in white tights, holding a warm cup of juice in her hands.
*Bang!*
The villa’s front door was kicked open, and Yoru strode in with an air of immense satisfaction, bringing the cold night wind with him.
Although his hair was a bird’s nest from the lightning and the edges of his short-sleeved shirt were singed black, his face was practically glowing with the smug pride of someone who had just pulled off a massive heist.
“I’m back!
Bro ATM, is the food ready?
I’m starving!” Yoru shut the door behind him and walked over to the table.
“Keep your voice down, don’t scare Sakura.” Kariya walked out carrying the pizza.
Looking at Yoru’s disheveled yet swaggering state, he could not help but frown.
“Which jewelry store did you go rob?
Why do you look like you got blown up?
And where’s the catalyst you talked about?”
“A jewelry store?
What kind of low-level thief do you take me for?
I just went and did something that’ll rewrite the entire history of the Type-Moon universe.”
Yoru pulled out a chair, sat down, took a massive bite out of a slice of pizza, and then, like a magician performing a trick, pulled the mahogany box radiating ancient magical energy from his pocket and tossed it casually onto the table.
*Clatter.*
The box rolled twice across the tabletop, its lid popping open slightly to reveal the translucent fossilized snake skin inside.
Kariya had only glanced at it casually at first.
But the moment he recognized the crest carved onto the box, the hand holding the pizza plate began to tremble uncontrollably.
“Th-this is…”
Kariya violently pushed his glasses up, pressing his face almost directly against the box.
Indeed, it was a crest composed of a circle and two teardrop-like patterns.
In all of Fuyuki City—no, in the entire Japanese magus community—no one would fail to recognize this crest.
The Tohsaka family crest!
“Y-You…” Kariya took a sharp breath, his finger trembling as he pointed at Yoru.
“The zero-dollar shopping you mentioned…
you went and robbed the Tohsaka main estate?!
Are you insane?!
That’s Tokiomi’s trump card for summoning the strongest Heroic Spirit!”
“Relax, relax.
Standard play, nothing to write home about.”
Yoru chugged half a glass of cola, let out a loud burp, and flicked the ancient snake skin fossil with his finger.
“Doesn’t Tokiomi Tohsaka pride himself on elegance and strategizing from the shadows?
Today, I flipped his whole chessboard over.”
Yoru raised his right hand, showing Kariya the mocking middle-finger fist Command Seal on the back of it.
“The materials are here, and the Command Seal is ready.”
Yoru stood up, his eyes gleaming with eager anticipation.
“Bro Kariya, go clear some space in the basement.
Tonight, the oldest king that Tokiomi Tohsaka yearns for is going to recognize this great villain as his Master!”