Ultimately, the first one to break the heavy silence was Artoria.
“Master, is there something wrong with this person?”
The relationship between the knight and Levi could hardly be called close.
She maintained a strict, formal distance, her posture rigid and her emerald eyes searching his face.
She was not the type to intentionally pick faults or question her summoner without cause.
She simply sensed an underlying anomaly in his directives, prompting her to ask the question that lingered in the minds of everyone present.
Levi had long anticipated this exact inquiry.
He leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers together, and threw out the explanation he had prepared for this very moment.
“Clairvoyance.”
The temperature in the room seemed to drop a fraction of a degree.
Upon hearing that single word, Artoria, Grayfia, and Karna all experienced a subtle shift in their expressions.
Their eyes narrowed, recognizing the sheer weight of the term.
High-level Clairvoyance granted the user the terrifying ability to peer into the distant past and the unwritten future.
If Levi harbored no pre-existing grudge against the Lord of the Astronomy Department, then he had undoubtedly witnessed something catastrophic looming on the horizon.
“Don’t be so nervous,” Levi said, his tone casual, designed to diffuse the sudden tension.
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t fully grasp the mechanics of Clairvoyance.
Mine is not a high-level authority, and I cannot control it at will.
It simply acts up on occasion, dropping fragmented revelations into my mind and allowing me to catch a fleeting glimpse of what is to come.”
He let his gaze sweep over his gathered forces.
“The futures I see are rare.
However, in one specific timeline, the Servant summoned by the Lord of the Astronomy Department bore the name Solomon.
If that man wins this war, Solomon’s ultimate wish will plunge the entire world into an apocalyptic crisis.”
Levi paused, letting the silence stretch before delivering the final blow.
“The Human Order will be incinerated.
The past will be entirely tampered with.
That omniscient and all-powerful Demon God King will generate temperatures high enough to ignite the very foundation of human history, pushing everything in existence toward its absolute end.”
The room plunged into a suffocating stillness.
No one breathed.
The sheer scale of the disaster Levi described defied standard comprehension.
Grayfia was the first to recover her composure.
She stepped forward, her silver eyes reflecting a cold, calculating light.
“Lord Levi, if the threat is of that magnitude, should we not contact the Underworld immediately and request them to dispatch their armies?”
The incineration of the Human Order.
The destructive yield of such an event eclipsed even the apocalyptic Great War of the Three Factions from ancient times.
The fallout would be infinitely more severe than the combined deaths of all Four Great Satans and the God of the Fallen Angels.
It was a cataclysm that would ripple outward, annihilating every pantheon in existence.
For a threat of this caliber, an unmatched alliance of all mythologies would be entirely justified.
Levi slowly shook his head.
“Reporting this up the chain of command is useless.
The higher-ups in the Underworld are blinded by their own arrogance.
Even if we approached the Angel faction, I highly doubt the Heavens would believe a word of it.”
He unlaced his fingers, resting his chin on his knuckles.
“, the Underworld is far from monolithic.
Grayfia, do not forget how many hidden sleeper agents Rizevim has buried within their ranks.
We still have not rooted them all out.
Under these circumstances, the only individual we could safely contact is Sirzechs.
But if Sirzechs mobilizes his forces, Rizevim will catch wind of it instantly.”
A cold light flickered in Levi’s eyes.
“I would not be surprised in the slightest by the lengths that madman would go to if he felt cornered.”
“That is exactly why I have only shared this information with you.”
Levi stood up, his presence commanding the space.
“The current situation has not yet deteriorated to the point I witnessed in my vision.
Whether our primary objective is to win this Holy Grail War or to prevent an impending global disaster, that Lord of the Astronomy Department is a variable we must eliminate first.”
Understanding dawned on the faces of his peerage and Servants.
They nodded in unison, the gravity of their mission fully setting in.
Levi turned his attention back to the knight in blue.
“According to the terms of our contract, if you have any objections to this course of action, speak up now.
If there is a disagreement, we will settle it with a match to determine whose lead we follow.”
“There is no need.
I have no objections.” Artoria shook her head, her voice ringing with absolute conviction.
“If this is our objective, allow me to cross blades with this King Solomon when the time comes.”
“That is assuming we can find him first.”
Levi crossed his arms.
He already possessed detailed intelligence on six of the participating Masters.
Reaching into his coat, he bypassed the old director’s dossier and pulled out the seventh file.
The paper was blank, save for a glaring question mark drawn across the center.
“The general direction is set.
But before we clash with our main target, we need to drag this final participant out into the light.
If we operate without a complete picture of the board, an unexpected variable will inevitably blindside us.”
He tapped the edge of the file against the table.
“This war was never going to be simple.
For every unknown variable we erase, our chances of survival increase.”
“It is just a working theory, but this final Master should belong to the Matou Family.”
The Matou Family.
Tohsaka Tokiomi had operated under the strict assumption that the Matou lineage had withered away, leaving no descendants possessing the necessary magical circuits to participate in the war.
He believed they warranted no attention.
He was entirely wrong.
Matou Zouken had secured a candidate long before the war even began.
It was only logical.
This grand ritual was originally conceptualized and proposed by Zouken himself, alongside the Einzbern faction, when they first approached the Tohsaka family centuries ago.
How could the old patriarch possibly sit out of his own creation?
This was not a standard timeline.
This was the inaugural Holy Grail War on the Grand Order timeline.
If the ritual failed, it might very well be the last one ever held.
Matou Zouken had provided the foundational Command Spell technology and taken the initiative to approach Tokiomi.
To assume he harbored no selfish motives, that he did not desire the ultimate prize for himself, was pure foolishness.
Only a fool would underestimate an ancient, scheming Magus of his caliber.
Yet, for all his magical cunning, Zouken possessed a fatal blind spot.
He had indeed located a suitable vessel.
He had successfully manipulated them into traveling to Fuyuki City.
The Holy Grail had recognized his chosen pawn, branding their flesh with a Command Spell.
What Zouken had entirely failed to calculate was that this individual, even without the aid of a summoned Heroic Spirit, wielded a baseline power that completely shattered his ability to control them.
“What a…
disgusting jerk.”
Sajyou Ayaka stared blankly at the figure writhing inside the inferno.
The flames crackled and roared, casting harsh orange shadows across the basement walls.
The ancient Magus, along with his repulsive swarm of crest worms, shrieked in agony as the supernatural fire slowly reduced them to piles of smoldering ash.
She turned her gaze away from the dying old man, looking down at the three crimson strokes etched into the back of her hand.
‘A great ritual?
Sounds incredibly boring.’
If she truly desired to know the outcome of this war, she could simply look.
She was born intrinsically connected to the Root.
The past, the present, the infinite branching paths of the future—she could perceive it all with a mere thought.
But she never looked.
Knowing the end of the story only made the present feel suffocatingly dull.
She refused to look into the future, and she absolutely refused to let anyone else look either.
The moment she stepped foot into Fuyuki City, she had sensed it.
Another entity within the city limits possessed the authority to perceive the past and future.
Annoyed by the intrusion, she had casually flexed her innate authority, reaching across the city and directly sealing off the other party’s clairvoyant vision.
Originally, she had zero intention of participating in some archaic Magus ritual.
But as the old geezer burned, he had kept muttering about the Holy Grail over and over again.
The sheer desperation in his dying voice had actually managed to pique her interest.
She had nothing better to do anyway.
Why not play a single round and see what all the fuss was about?
Ayaka smiled.
Her face was as beautiful as a spring morning bathed in blooming flowers, radiating an impossible, ethereal light that seemed to defy the grim reality of the burning basement.
The other Masters operated under the assumption that all seven Heroic Spirits had already been summoned into the world.
In reality, they were mistaken.
Only six had successfully materialized.
The only class remaining for Sajyou Ayaka was a single, chaotic vessel.
Berserker.
Tohsaka Residence.
“We must infiltrate the Matou estate tonight and assess the situation.”
Tohsaka Tokiomi stood at the head of the room, his gaze sweeping over his assembled forces.
Tohsaka Rin stood quietly to the side, observing the adults.
Kotomine Kirei listened with a perfectly blank expression, his posture rigid.
Arjuna leaned casually against the far wall, his presence commanding despite his relaxed stance.
Hundred Faces Hassan remained shrunken into the darkest corners of the room, while Saint George stood near the center, a deep frown carving lines into his face.
“The reconnaissance data transmitted back by Hundred Faces confirms that the Matou Family has completely severed all external contact,” Saint George said, his voice heavy with concern.
“Our probing spells have yielded absolutely nothing.”
“It is exactly as we suspected,” Tokiomi replied, adjusting his cuffs.
“That family has officially entered the war.”
He showed no surprise.
He had already forged an alliance with the Einzberns; it was only natural that the Matou Family would refuse to sit idly by.
The ultimate goal of every Magus was on the line.
Anyone would gladly risk their life, and the lives of others, to reach the Root.
“Operating during daylight hours draws too much unwanted attention.
We will hold our position until nightfall before making our move.” Tokiomi turned his attention to his stoic pupil.
“Kirei, regarding the tragic matter of Risei…”
Kotomine Kirei slowly shook his head, his face a mask of absolute emotional void.
“Teacher, now is not the time to dwell on such personal matters.”
Tokiomi let out a heavy sigh and nodded in solemn agreement.
Saint George stepped forward, placing a heavy, comforting hand on Kirei’s shoulder.
“Rest assured, Kirei.
If I uncover the identity of the coward who struck your father down, I swear upon the name of Saint George that I will drag them before you to answer for their crimes!”
Kotomine Risei had been murdered by Kotomine Kirei’s own hands. This story is hosted at g.com.
Yet, not a single muscle twitched on Kirei’s face.
He simply offered the Rider a faint, respectful nod.
“Then I will leave that burden to you.”
Just as no one in his entire life had ever realized he was utterly incapable of feeling genuine happiness, no one in the room could perceive the twisted, suffocating darkness writhing inside his chest.
The phantom thrill of the kill still lingered on his fingertips.
This was Kotomine Kirei.
A fundamental error of human nature.
A through-and-through anomaly.
Coincidences and miracles did indeed exist in this world.
The first day of the Holy Grail War had passed with exceptional peace.
The various factions had spent the daylight hours fortifying their positions, resulting in zero direct conflicts.
But as the sun set on the second day, the collective focus of nearly every Master in Fuyuki City zeroed in on a single location: the Matou Family estate.
“It is time to move.”
Under the cover of darkness, Levi turned to address his dependents and Heroic Spirits.
He had no intention of mobilizing his entire force for a simple scouting mission.
Sakura, acting as a Master, needed to be present.
Levi would lead the vanguard.
Artoria and Karna, representing their absolute highest combat potential, were mandatory additions to the strike team.
The rest of his peerage would remain behind to fortify their base of operations.
The Holy Grail War was a chaotic, seven-way free-for-all.
Levi refused to leave his stronghold vulnerable to a blindside raid the moment he stepped out the front door.
Shirone was still too young for a frontline deathmatch, requiring Kuroka to stay behind and monitor her.
Ingvild possessed incredible raw power, but she had not yet learned how to convert her latent potential into practical, lethal combat ability.
Grayfia would command the rear guard, ensuring their defenses remained absolutely impenetrable.
“Lord Levi, please be very careful out there, nya…” Kuroka waved from the doorway, her ears twitching in the cool night breeze.
Shirone and Ingvild stood close beside her, their eyes locked on his retreating figure.
Irisviel, lacking any offensive combat capabilities, offered a silent prayer for their safety.
Grayfia stepped forward, smoothly slipping a localized communication spell into Levi’s hand.
“Lord Levi, should any major variables arise, channel your mana into this spell to contact me immediately.”
“Rest assured,” Levi replied, his voice calm and steady.
“Nothing major is going to happen.”
If this escalated into a standard clash between Heroic Spirits, the four of them were more than enough to crush any opposition.
As for the looming threat of Solomon—
Levi glanced at the backs of Karna and Artoria as they walked ahead of him.
He could not be entirely certain if his sudden arrival in this timeline had triggered a massive butterfly effect.
But if Solomon was truly capable of sweeping the entire FGO timeline Holy Grail War on his own, then excluding Karna and Artoria, the remaining Servants summoned to this city could not be overwhelmingly powerful entities.
If six top-tier, first-class Heroic Spirits had been summoned simultaneously, even the Demon God King would find the situation highly problematic., to participate in a standard Holy Grail War, Solomon could not possibly have descended using a Grand Saint Graph.
He was heavily restricted, likely operating under the parameters of a normal Heroic Spirit’s Saint Graph.
Given those limitations, if they actually crossed paths with Solomon tonight, Levi was confident they possessed a legitimate win condition.
Grayfia and the others were simply overthinking the danger.
Levi waved his hand over his shoulder, flashing a confident smile.
“We are just taking a stroll to the Matou estate to assess the board.
We will be back before dawn.”
Grayfia and the remaining defenders stood in the courtyard, watching in silence as Levi, Sakura, Artoria, and Karna merged into the shadows of the street corner and vanished from sight.
The moment their presence completely faded from the perimeter, Shirone broke her gaze away from the empty street.
She turned, her golden eyes locking onto her older sister.
“Sister.
Teach me Senjutsu.”
Kuroka blinked, genuinely stunned by the sudden request.
Her eyebrows rose in mild surprise.
“Didn’t you completely lack interest in learning Senjutsu before?”
“I still have no interest in it.” Shirone raised her hands, staring down at her small, pale palms.
She slowly curled her fingers inward, forming tight fists.
“But if I continue to stay this weak, I will never be able to stand beside Lord Levi and help him.”
A soft, deeply gratified smile broke across Kuroka’s face.
She reached out, gently patting her little sister’s head.
“Alright.
I will teach you.
But Senjutsu training is brutal, nya.
It won’t be easy.”
“I’m not afraid.”
Kuroka didn’t waste another word.
She grabbed Shirone’s hand and led her directly toward the underground training grounds.
Grayfia watched the two sisters depart.
Once they were gone, she slowly shifted her cold, silver gaze toward the final member of the peerage.
Ingvild flinched, suddenly feeling incredibly small under the silver-haired maid’s oppressive stare.
“Um…
do you need something from me?”
Grayfia’s face remained a mask of absolute perfection, but her tone carried the crushing weight of a glacier.
“You witnessed the resolve of your peers just now.
As a descendant carrying the bloodline of Leviathan, do you not think it is past time you mastered your own power?”
[Akarin’s Note:
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