Written and thought by: YKIR

Artworks by : BikoWolf

1
What is Fate/Yggdrasil?

Fate/Yggdrasil is a story whose origin dates back to long before 2019 (the year in which the first
chapter was published). In fact, it was in 2017 that I first thought of this story inspired by the
franchise created by Kinoko Nasu. My love for Fate/Stay Night (and especially for Fate/Zero by
Gen Urobuchi) was, so to speak, the 'cause' of Fate/Yggdrasil and, if it wasn't for these two minds
(i.e. Nasu and Urobuchi), I would never have decided to write my story.
At the beginning it was just ideas without a precise form and only over time did I develop
everything in a more 'coherent' way. I wrote the first pages between the end of 2017 and the
beginning of 2018, but I had to discard everything because I didn’t like neither the main characters
nor the Servants. I wrote and rewrote the first chapter at least seven or eight times; each time I
wasn’t convinced enough to carry on the story.
The protagonist changed his name, profession and Servant several times: at the beginning he was
Alessio Leoni, a librarian with Enkidu as Servant; then he became Alessandro Serpi, a magus
assassin with Shuten-dōji; then, in a story, the protagonist was called Arturo (or Arturio, I don't
remember it because the chapter was so bad that I canceled it immediately) and he had as Servant or
Nitocris or Enkidu. And if that was my problem with the protagonist, you can imagine the mess
with the rest of the story.
The idea of abandoning the Nasuverse Servants was fueled by my experience with the Julius
Caesar of Fate/Grand Order (the mobile game) which, to be brief, I didn’t like. At that time I was
reading Luciano Canfora's book Julius Caesar. The people’s dictator and I was so fascinated by the
figure of Caesar that I couldn’t bear the bad treatment he had received in FGO. So I decided to
create my own Julius Caesar and, taken by creativity, I also decided to create other original
Servants. They would all enter the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil.
As for the story, I’ve always been indecisive and this is my fault (even now I regret it). I never
had the courage to completely detach myself from the Nasuverse and therefore the references to
Fate/Stay Night and Fate/Zero are there and are not few. I’m ashamed of this, because my goal was
to create an original and independent story from the Fate franchise, so part of me feels that I’ve
failed.
I’ve always had the intention of making Fate/Yggdrasil autonomous, I wanted to make it a
different product from the creation of Nasu and for this reason I chose to rewrite some elements of
Fate/Stay Night and to redefine some aspects of the lore; it was not about cheekiness but rather the
need to have ‘the story of YKIR’ and not ‘the fan fiction of Fate/Stay Night’. I wanted my story,
with my characters and with my world. But fear and uncertainty prevailed and, like viruses,
infected my writing and made me make stupid choices. Reading the story, you will have the
impression that you’re dealing with an uncertain lore, often disordered and guilty of having some
plot holes. I'm sorry it went like this.
I would therefore like to apologize in advance to the readers for the mistakes I made while
writing Fate/Yggdrasil.
But I would like to underline one thing: I don't think I was wrong in writing Fate/Yggdrasil. It’s
certainly an imperfect work, but I’m proud to have created this story. It’s, for me, an important
piece of my life, a work of art that has defined a part of my existence. Ars longa, vita brevis. (Art
has a long duration, life has a short one)
That said, I hope you can love this story as I did. Thank you for the time you have chosen to
dedicate to Fate/Yggdrasil.

YKIR

2
 Special thanks to BikoWolf, the artist who drew the Fate/Yggdrasil images and gave a face to
the characters I created. If it hadn't been for him, my story would’ve remained in the dark. So I
would like to thank him with all my heart and invite you to follow him on DeviantArt and Pixiv.

CHAPTER 1

A luxurious white manor surrounded by a green flower garden and solid reinforced concrete
walls; passers-by stopped occasionally to observe the steel gate on which two lion heads were
depicted. The villa, so distant from the rest of Rome, was the headquarters of an organization of
Italian magi known as the Coven.
In a large ceremonial hall, which resembled the interior of a church, decorated with stained glass
windows and with stone columns, on which angels and armed devils had been sculpted, Grand
Master Giovanni Monteverdi X, standing like a soldier with his hands behind his back, was silently
observing the statue of a lion resting his paw on a depiction of the world while holding a dead snake
in its jaws.
A wooden door opened behind him. The Grand Master turned and saw the young Alessandro
Serpi enter. The boy, from the agitation, put in place the black tunic on which was depicted the
emblem of the lion with the snake between the fauces, which was the symbol of the Coven. It was
customary for members of the organization to wear tunics: the disciples wore them in black, the
elders in red, while the Grand Master had a white robe. Alessandro had brown hair, dampened by
sweat, and his blue eyes observed, intimidated, Giovanni Monteverdi X's cold expression. The door
closed. Alessandro bent over one knee and exclaimed:
“Beatus Leonis.” That was the greeting that the members of the Coven had to do in the presence
of the Grand Master.
Giovanni, with a calm movement, touched Alessandro's head and responded to the greeting as a
custom:
“Benedictus Sis.”
Alessandro rose from the ground and asked, “Did you want to see me, Grand Master Giovanni
Monteverdi?”
“Yes, indeed. I need your help for a very important mission, disciple.”
“What is it?”
“Alessandro Serpi, you are one of the best disciples of the Coven. Are you aware of this?”
“I'm not that good,” he replied modestly.
“Instead you are. You achieved excellent results during the magic tests and you proved to be a
loyal, serious and courageous disciple. These are virtues that honor you. One of the elders, whom
you will surely know, told me how you managed to find a spy who had infiltrated our organization.
That’s not an easy feat.”
“No, but... for me it was just—”
“Davide Ponti doesn’t think so, disciple. He believes you have potential. And I'm convinced of
that too. The potential a person possesses cannot be easily concealed” he spoke with an almost regal
tone.
“Why do you tell me these things?” Alessandro asked, worried.
“Do you know Yggdrasil?”
“The tree of Norse mythology?”
“Exactly. It’s said that this ash supports the nine worlds born from the sacrifice of the giant
Ymir. It’s said of this tree that it’s also a link between the world of mortals and that of the

3
immortals. The legends about Yggdrasil are different but almost all take for granted that it is what
connects all the worlds and supports them. Without it, the Void would triumph over all existence.”
“So?” he asked confused.
“We have come to know of a study conducted by a French magus, Dorian Benard, who claims to
have discovered the True Holy Grail.”
Alessandro was completely taken aback by those last words. His body was crossed by a rush of
chills that made him tremble as in a winter day.
The Grand Master, understanding the reaction of the disciple, offered him to sit down and the
latter immediately accepted. The word ‘Grail’ was associated with war, destruction and continuous
struggle for a desire. Alessandro Serpi knew only of several wars that had taken place years ago, in
Japan, but, from what he knew, the Holy Grail had been dismantled. He was wrong.
Grand Master Giovanni Monteverdi X continued his explanation: “According to Dorian, the
True Holy Grail would be linked to the legend of Yggdrasil. He came to the conclusion that the
True Holy Grail couldn’t have the blood of Jesus Christ since there’s no evidence to support the
theory that there’s a sacred chalice with the blood of Christ.”
“But the Church says the opposite,” commented Alessandro.
“You’re right. I know he’s wrong. What he claims to have found may not be the True Holy
Grail, however...”
Then Alessandro lost his breath. He saw the flaming look of the Grand Master, the look of a man
who was ready to go to war. The shivers, which already inhabited the body of Alessandro, became
more intense and he had to get up to release the tension. Part of him had already guessed what was
about to happen.
Giovanni said, “However this doesn’t mean that the replica of the Holy Grail cannot be valid as
the True Holy Grail. The Holy Grail that he claims to have found should, in his words, be able to
guarantee more desires to the same person.”
“What...? Why?”
“Well, maybe because the blood of this Grail is not that of the Son of God but of a God. It’s the
blood of Odin, the Norse God who sacrificed himself several times under Yggdrasil.”
“So... why am I here?” Alessandro murmured, frightened.
“We have never been able to take the Grail, but this time is different. This time we know where
it will appear and when it will appear ... but unfortunately we are not the only magi to know about
it. That’s a... problem.”
“Do you want to start a war?”
“The war has already begun,” the Grand Master said raising his hand.
“What does it mean that it has ‘already begun’? What are you talking about?”
“The Rote Mäntel are already moving from Hamburg to take the Holy Grail, we cannot allow it.
Do you understand? Do you understand this?” He paused briefly. “The war has begun and it’s
calling us. It’s calling you, Alessandro Serpi.”
The boy raised his eyebrows and stood motionless, paralyzed with fear, he didn't know what to
say. Giovanni Monteverdi saw the boy turn pale and, patting him on the shoulder, reassured him:
“You can do it, disciple. I know you can.”
Those words were not spoken with love. Alessandro felt he was forced and understood, from the
Grand Master's gaze, that if he didn’t accept, he would be killed.
“Yes, Grand Master,” Alessandro replied with a submissive look.
“Perfect. We will provide you with the means to fight the war.”
The Grand Master snapped his fingers and, in that moment, came two elderly members who
brought along an heavy wooden box. They placed it on the ground and, using a crowbar, opened it.
The Grand Master invited Alessandro to come closer and he saw a sword in the box, a sword of
Ancient Rome. The boy took the weapon with both hands, it was quite heavy, and he asked the
Grand Master:
“But... why did you choose me?”

4
 “Because I decided so. You will summon a Servant that will serve you in this war and that will
protect you so that you can conquer the Holy Grail for the Coven. Vos ipsi sunt electi.”

Hamburg. Three days before the meeting between the Grand Master Giovanni Monteverdi X and
Alessandro Serpi.
In the church of San Michele (Hauptkirche Sankt Michaelis) two men in plain clothes, both in
their forties, met. After they shook hands they sat on the wooden benches. One of the two
murmured:
“Wie geht es dir heute? We haven't met for a while, Clovis.”
“I'm fine, Herbert. Tell me about you, rather. Are you enjoying your new position as High
Councilor?”
“Enough. It’s not easy to never be listen by either the Roter Vater or the Rote Mutter. They are
both intoxicated with power. Poor me ... poor us. But why did you want to meet me?”
The two men were Clovis Wolff and Herbert Schmidt. Two magi from the Rote Mäntel
organization. Clovis, scratching his blond beard, replied to his friend:
“You know that the Holy Grail has been discovered, right?”
“Yes, I know. It’s a problem. Everyone is fidgeting, even the ‘calm and neutral’ Clock Tower
acts like a man who has just pissed himself.”
“Well, I’m—”
“What are you going to do then? Do you really want to start a war for the Grail? Have you
learned nothing from history?”
“What is there to learn? In this world there are incapable magi and talented magi, we are the
latter and we can calmly manage the power of the Holy Grail. This war will not be like the others.”
“What do you mean?” he asked concerned.
“I mean that this war will be the greatest war for the Holy Grail ever seen.”
“No, it will be just another senseless massacre.”
“You can't know.”
“On the contrary I know,” Herbert said, annoyed.
“I never expected such a reaction from you. You are one of the most loyal members of the
organization.”
Herbert snorted and got up from the bench, heading to the exit without a word to Clovis. The
man joined Herbert outside the church and, shocked, asked him:
“Why are you angry? What's your problem?”
“You have a problem, Clovis.”
“No, you have a problem with me, Herbert. You are the one who left without saying a word,
without even complimenting me for having obtained the chance to find the Holy Grail. You always
wanted it yourself!” exclaimed Clovis.
“Things change. That’s all.”
“So much? Did you really go from considering me your greatest disciple to ignoring me
completely just because you disagree with me?”
“You have a family, bei Gott!” Herbert shouted. “You have a family waiting for you at home!
You have a wife and two children! What the hell drives you to fight a war and to be proud of it?!”
Herbert scolded. “You have to think about your family, Clovis!”
Clovis, surprised by his friend's reaction, didn’t immediately respond. He put his hands in his
pockets and walked past Herbert, then, in a darker voice, said to him:
“I have two children now, but if I do nothing I will have only one. My daughter, Freda, is ill. She
has tuberculosis. There’s not much time left and the Holy Grail can save her. The Holy Grail can
heal her.”
Herbert knew he had crossed a line. He had been too aggressive with his friend and, regretting
having been bitter like that, he tried to console Clovis:
“I'm sorry, I didn't know... but... you can’t do that. It’s a suicide.”

5
 “Don't pity me, Herbert. Don’t do it. I will personally participate in the war and get the Holy
Grail. Whether you want it or not. I just wanted you to be happy for me, but apparently it's too
much to ask.”
“How can you ask me to be happy? You just told me you're going to die. And for what? For a
magical object that, ninety percent, was created by magi and that could unleash forces capable of
destroying the world? Are you really thinking of sacrificing your life for that?!”
“Maybe you’re wrong, maybe it’s not so dangerous.”
“Maybe. But what if you were to fail? Let's say the Holy Grail is not dangerous, there’s still the
possibility that you may fail” Herbert said distressed, then added: “ If you were to fail what would
happen to your family? Do you really want to risk your life, do you really want to risk leaving your
wife alone forever? Does your life have no value for you?”
“My daughter's life is more valuable than mine. I can't stay still, Herbert. I simply can't.”

“Seven Servants will be summoned to fight a war for the sole purpose of obtaining a magical
cup, a machine that expresses every desire without any limit. Isn't that fantastic? I could have
everything I ever wanted: women, money, a new dog, and maybe even the power to make anyone
my slave.”
The boy who said these words was a high schooler with short brown hair and black eyes. He
wore the typical black school uniform, which was flawlessly buttoned. The boy was on the roof of
the school, at night, and was leaning against the iron net. Looking at the stars with carefree eyes, he
whistled a little song but was suddenly interrupted by two students, his peers, who came to him
scared. One of them exclaimed, sweating:
“Hiro, they found us! We have to leave!”
The other added: “Yeah! The cops have arrived! Come on let's go!”
“You two are really annoying,” Hiro said.
The boy, Hiro Sunahara, stood in front of his companions and, with a malicious grin, he opened
his hand and threw a powerful shockwave that made them fly down the stairs.
“I've decided: I'll leave Japan. I'm bored standing here with losers like you. I’ve great aspirations
and certainly I will not make them true by being here to fuck around with you.”
Hiro generated another shockwave with which he split the iron net and, thanks to a spell, he was
able to increase his strength and then descend without problems from the roof.
He was not noticed by the policemen and he left the school quietly as if nothing had happened.
The boy abandoned himself on a bench facing the street. The tremors in his muscles were a bad
sign: he was already at the limit of his strength. His magical energy was about to run out
completely.
“Fuck,” he murmured. “I want that fucking Grail.”
That same night, in the streets of Kyoto, Hiro was contacted on the cell phone by a certain
Veronica Drakenberg. He answered the call with an annoyed voice:
“What do you want?”
The female voice on the other side looked like that of a teenager and answered, laughing:
“I saw what you did to those poor boys. You're really naughty, Hiro.”
“Are you spying on me?”
“Does it seem to you that it can spy on you?”
Hiro didn't answer her, assuming the answer was obvious. He remembered perfectly when, two
weeks earlier, he was contacted by Veronica on his cell phone. That girl of which he knew nothing,
then, had managed to get his phone number and also knew that he practiced Magecraft. It was her,
in fact, who informed him of the Holy Grail and the war that was to break out.
“Are you still there, my boy?” asked Veronica, worried about Hiro's prolonged silence.
“Yes, I was just... thinking of one thing.”
“What is it? Are you starting to doubt me?”

6
 “Why did you choose me? Why did you call me? I don't know you, I have no idea who you are,
yet you have decided that I’m the perfect candidate for this war. Why? What are you hiding from
me?”
“You're a strong magus, I know it. I work for an organization that knows all about the magi in
Japan and keeps an eye on them. We believe that you, Sunahara Hiro, are the perfect magus to win
the Holy Grail War.”
“That's all?” Hiro asked incredulously.
“Yes, there is nothing else. Do you have any problems?”
“Several.”
“Well, it's none of my business. What interests me is your decision. Will you participate in the
war or not?”
“Yes, I will participate in your stupid war. I already told you two weeks ago! I want to know if I
can trust you or not,” he replied, irritated.
“Trust? You can't talk about trust when you first abandoned your friends. Let's avoid hypocrisy
and talk business. We have a deal?”
“Yeah, fine... why not.”
“Perfect. I knew you were a smart guy. I'll send someone to get you. You made a very smart
choice, Hiro. Your time to bloom has finally arrived.”
Hiro stopped in front of Nijō Castle. Waiting for Veronica to come and pick him up, he began to
think about his life before that moment.
He always thought he was a different guy from everyone else. A special, unique person. He
always had serious socialization problems, but despite this he was part of a family of magi: the
Sunaharas. His father was a great friend of powerful magi and his older sister, Hisae, was able to
move objects with her mind and was considered a prodigy by the family.
But Hiro had never had those same attentions. Maybe he wanted to participate in the Holy Grail
War just to prove his worth, or maybe he just wanted to vent his aggression in some way.
Being praised by Veronica made him feel like a chosen one, or something like that. Hiro's strong
emotions were fueled by the fact that Veronica was a girl; no girl had ever complimented him
before. Part of him was exalted. He wanted to see the girl with his own eyes; in his head, erotic
fantasies began to take the flight: he began to imagine her naked and then having a carnal
relationship with her. All this without even knowing what she looked like. Maybe she was the girl
of his dreams? A beautiful girl with long hair and a flawless face... and obviously very busty. He
imagined doing the nastiest things with this ‘perfect girl’ who only breathed in his head.
Those free teenage thoughts were drowned out by the arrival of a vehicle. Hiro saw men in black
coming. One of them said:
“You are Sunahara Hiro, right?”
“Yes, it's me.”
“You must come with us.”
“Okay, then.”
Hiro's heart started beating wildly. The boy was sweating like never before and he regretted not
going to the bathroom to empty his bladder; he felt a few drops come out. The two men in black led
Hiro into a black car and took him away. In the vehicle, Hiro met this girl with pink long and
straight hair, she had bright green eyes. She didn't look that mature, but she had the bearing of a
lady. This girl wore a completely white gothic dress. She introduced herself holding out her hand:
“Veronica Drakenberg, nice to meet you.”
She wasn't the perfect girl he'd imagined, but she was still pretty. He immediately tried to make a
good impression and to give the idea of being sure of himself. He wanted to show her that he was a
strong man.
“I’m Suna—Hiro. Just Hiro. How are—I mean... where are we going?”
She quickly realized that he wanted to flirt. A hint of disgust was immediately masked by a
seductive smile.

7
 “A nice place, dear” she said.
“Oh, cool... yeah, cool.”
He thought he had succeeded.
The girl threw an object, wrapped in a ruined green cloth, on the boy's knees.
“Check it out,” she said.
Hiro opened the cloth and saw a ruined fan inside. He closed the cloth and asked the girl:
“What should I do, then?”
“You will use that to summon a Servant, my dear Hiro,” she replied, smiling.
Veronica's gesture was enough to make the boy blush. When she said they were going to a nice
place, he immediately imagined a grotesque erotic situation with the two of them as the
protagonists. Thinking that the feelings he felt were mutual, he was not ashamed of the movements
between his legs and moved to sit next to the girl. His plan was to seduce her with a more direct
approach.
“Stay there, dear,” she said, smiling.
“Uh? Why?” he was confused.
“I’m not here to play games. As you know, I oversee the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil. I’ve job
to do.”
“Oh... I see...”
Another hint of disgust appeared on her face, it was masked again.
“But, my dear Hiro, if you win, you may receive a special reward,” she winked.
“Then I’ll do my best to win this war, my lady.”
She forced a small smile upon hearing those servile words.
“I hope you are really ready, my dear Hiro. Because once the war begins... there’s no turning
back.”

A girl with short brown, straight bob hair, with blue eyes and a school uniform, ran scared
through the night streets of Ibaraki. The girl was chased by a man wearing a blue shirt with jeans
and boots.
The girl stopped for a moment to catch her breath, but then immediately started running again to
avoid being reached by her pursuer. She turned towards an alley and cast a spell in front of her: on
the ground appeared a circular symbol representing a bird. She jumped over the symbol and
suddenly jumped very high and landed on the roof of a house.
The man lost track of the girl; a grim male voice behind him murmured:
“You lost her.”
“No, I don't,” he replied, annoyed.
“I tell you, you lost her. Leave it to me, maybe it's better for both of us.”
“Shut up. Let me do it. I’ll end this quickly.”
The man had three purses attached to the right side of the trouser belt; he opened one and from
there he pulled out a small test tube containing red sand. He opened the test tube by removing a
plastic cap and poured all the sand onto the floor. He put the tube away. He bent down and touched
the sand with one hand and then said:
“Zhizn’!1”
The red sand rose and generated a strange bipedal creature as tall as a monkey, with sharp teeth
and long legs. The monstrous creature began to climb the buildings and quickly reached the girl,
who hoped to be able to save herself.
The terrible creature was about to hurt the girl with its sharp nails but was killed by an arrow.
The creature returned a pile of red sand without form or life. The girl saw a tall man appear in front
of her; he wore a medieval armor in shining steel and a long red cloak. The man, with short black

1
In Cyrillic it’s written like this: жизнь. The word means ‘life’. In the blognovel I used the word жить which means
‘live’ as in ‘live in somewhere’. So, yeah… my mistake. Sorry.

8
hair and very fine mustaches, held a large silver bow with gold decorations. As soon as the girl saw
him, she smiled and said:
“Better late than never.”
“Forgive me, princess, it won't happen again. So, let’s deal with the wicked.”
“Be careful, Archer. I don't want you to hurt yourself for me.”
“Ah! As if I could ever fall at the hands of the enemy! I’m a victorious! I fear no one and do not
lose against anyone! Come forward, my enemies! Let's see how strong you are!”
The man, on the ground, saw that his creature had been killed by Archer and asked to the being
in the shadow behind him:
“Is that Archer?”
“So it would seem,” the grim voice answered in the darkness.
“So I was right. She has a Servant. Good... take care of him. I take care of his Master.”
“As you wish.”
The shadow disappeared.
In front of Archer appeared this being dressed as a Jesuit monk and with his face covered by a
hood. Archer, without hesitation, leaped forward and shot three arrows against the mysterious
being; but he managed to dodge all three of them without even moving.
Archer, startled, tried to shoot another arrow but the man caught it and broke it in half with the
use of one hand.
“You are quite skillful,” commented Archer.
“I don't need your compliments, knight.”
“I'm trying to be respectful. That’s my code.”
“Shut up, please, you're really ridiculous. You knights think only of things like respect, honor
and virtue, but in the end you are only hypocrites.”
“Who are you to talk like this?” Archer asked, annoyed.
“I'm just a ghost.”
The hooded being evoked around his hands a curtain of black smoke that took the form of two
daggers, he threw them at Archer; the latter had to avoid both blows and responded immediately by
shooting two more arrows; but the being suffered no damage from them. Only then did Archer
realize that the arrows were passing through the body of the being.
“Now that’s a problem, isn’t it? What are you? A Caster?” Archer asked, upset.
“Maybe... or maybe not.”
“May you be cursed, you rascal! I will make you pay!”

While the two Servants were fighting on the roofs of the city, the girl ran down the street but was
suddenly attacked by a dog made of black sand.
The girl got back on her feet and saw the bald man, who was following her, coming. That man
had the air of one who was ready to kill her. He stopped in front of her, with his hands in his
pockets and a victorious grin on his face.
“Nice to meet you, my name is Sergei Rybakov and I’m your first and last opponent in this
war.”
The girl immediately got up and without a moment of hesitation she generated a magic circle on
the ground, in the center of it there was the image of a tiger. The girl jumped in and was suddenly
enveloped in a blue-colored energy and punched Sergei in the face. The attack was so strong that it
flipped him over. After that, the girl started running again.
The black sand dog, however, stood before the girl and tried to bite her; she threw herself on the
ground, avoiding the dog's attack, then, after doing a somersault, she stood up again and started
running again; this time she was stopped by the sudden appearance of a tall man wearing an elegant
white suit and sunglasses. The man smiled at the scared girl and kicked her to the ground. When
Sergei reached the place, he saw that man with long black hair and white tips; enraged he asked
him:

9
 “Who the hell are you?!”
“Tetsuya. Murakawa Tetsuya. I’m the one who will kill you both, Russian.”
He took a packet of cigarettes and a lighter out of the inside pocket of his jacket. He lit a
cigarette quietly and then, with a calm manner, raised his hand and, with his fingers, invited Sergei
to come forward to fight him.
“Play with me, you bastard? All right, then let's play!” shouted Sergei.
The black sand dog attacked Tetsuya, but the latter hit it with a kick that completely pulverized
it. Sergei, bewildered, backed away and at that moment he noticed a woman armed with a spear and
dressed like a Greek hoplite.
Sergei immediately understood that she was a Servant and then he began to worry about his.
Tetsuya saw the girl get up and pulled her up, grabbing her by the dress, then asked her:
“What's your name?”
“Harumi.”
“Just ‘Harumi’?”
“Fukano Harumi,” she said, frightened.
“Tell me, Fukano, do you realize that this war is not a game? I expected to fight real magi not a
little girl. Do you realize that your fucking life is at stake?”
“I... know it. I don't... need you to tell me.”
“Perfect, then we have nothing left to tell us.”
Tetsuya threw the girl against a wall and approached her to crush her head with his foot. Sergei
Rybakov, unexpectedly, came and pushed Tetsuya down with his shoulder and then punched him in
the face. Tetsuya was acting like he was made of steel; he grabbed the man by the throat and stood
up, with superhuman strength he threw Rybakov against a wall.
Meanwhile, the two Servants who were fighting, were interrupted by the third Servant, the
woman hoplite. The Servant, holding a long spear with a golden tip, stood still and, defiantly,
invited one of the two Servants to attack her. Archer, seeing her, asked:
“Are you here to fight?”
“I'm here to kill you,” she answered.
“Fair enough.”
The woman used the spear to hit both Archer and the being dressed as a monk: the first was
overturned by the blow but the second suffered no damage. The woman, surprised, jumped back
and pointing the weapon at the man said:
“What the hell are you? A Caster? Why didn't this spear kill you?”
“Maybe your spear sucks,” he replied.
Archer, meanwhile, recovered and said:
“So, in this beautiful three-man battle we have an Archer, a Lancer and a pain in the ass.”
Lancer immediately attacked Archer who, with a feline reflex, dodged the different blows of the
woman, distanced himself and shot five different arrows; Lancer pushed the arrows away, spinning
her spear; the woman picked up speed and launched herself at Archer, hitting him in mid-air;
Archer had to repel the enemy by using the bow, parrying some attacks and, thanks to an aerial
somersault, he gained a few meters.
Archer observed:
“You must be an Amazon. The way you dress and fight immediately makes me think of that. But
I'd like to know who you are.”
“Why do you care? You will be dead in a few minutes.”
“Vanity kills.”
“Even stupidity.”
“Why are you two ignoring me?” asked the man dressed as a monk.
“If you don't want to be ignored, fight... and get hit,” Archer answered.
“I don't think I'll do so.”

10
 The man threw several knives made of black smoke against Archer and Lancer. The two hid to
avoid being hit. Archer got up and shot an arrow but it was torn to pieces by one of the black
knives; Archer was wounded in the shoulder and so he was forced to lower himself and exclaimed
to his rival:
“Nice shot!”
Archer leaped and, using the blood of his wound, summoned a crimson-colored magic arrow
which he then hurled at the man dressed as a monk. The impact of the arrow unleashed a gigantic
scarlet explosion. Archer landed on the roof of a house and when he realized that his enemy was
still standing and had not been injured, he snorted in annoyance:
“You’re really hard to kill, I congratulate you. But a man like you will never defeat me.”
“What kind of skill was that? Did you just use your blood to make an explosive arrow?”
“This is the Honor of Trotton! My blood will not be shed unnecessarily! And now you die!”
Archer shot two more crimson arrows that triggered two more explosions, but the enemy was
still alive and well.
Lancer took the opportunity to attack Archer from behind, but the latter dodged the blow and
kicked the woman's head, the attack removed Lancer's helmet.
“You have beautiful black hair, my lady,” Archer commented, boldly.
“Go to hell!”
Lancer was ready to pierce Archer's heart but suddenly an earthquake burst the ground and
opened up an immense chasm. The Servants were forced to retreat. That earthquake was abnormal.
The cause was certainly magical.
Archer joined Harumi and said:
“We have to leave, princess, the other Servants are retiring with their Masters.”
“What’s happening?” she asked frightened.
“I have no idea. Come on, we need to leave.”
Archer picked up Harumi and carried her away.
The earthquake opened a two-kilometer chasm in Ibaraki. More than a thousand people were
killed by that catastrophic event. The news reports called this event: the Disaster of Ibaraki.

CHAPTER 2

“I'm home, honey,” Clovis said, after crossing the threshold of the house.
A woman hurried down the stairs and jumped into his arms. She kissed him and said:
“Welcome back, my wolf. How are you?”
“I’m... fine.”
“And the job?”
“My boss gave me the day off.”
A loving lie to protect his wife. Protecting the secret was every magus' priority, it was necessary
to prevent every human from knowing about Magecraft, the Rote Mäntel didn’t agree with the
Clock Tower but like any organization of magi they would have killed anyone to protect the secret.
“Do you want something to eat, my wolf?”
“No, thanks, I’m—how’s Louis?”
“He's fine, today he has some allergic sinusitis, but it's normal.”
Then, in a dark tone, he asked, “Can I see Freda?”
“The doctor is still with her, I don’t know if—”
“I want to see her.”
“Clovis...”

11
 Her sad, shining eyes held back the tears as they could. Clovis's wife tried, as she could, to
pretend a smile but it was difficult to behave as if nothing serious was happening. Clovis hugged his
wife and murmured:
“Everything will be fine. I will make sure to put things right.”
“How?”
“I... will find a way.”
Shortly after, Clovis decided to go up the wooden stairs to reach his daughter's room. He opened
the door and saw her sleep. She had stopped coughing. He saw, next to her, the doctor who was
preparing to leave. Clovis asked:
“Dr. Meyer... how is Freda?”
“Its... not easy to—”
“How is my daughter?” his voice was distorted with sadness.
“Freda is—”
“Now she’s sleeping well. So that means she's getting better, isn't she?”
“Mr. Wolff—”
“Please doctor, tell me you can cure her!” Clovis exclaimed, desperate.
“I gave Freda some sleeping pills, that's why she's sleeping blissfully, she's not getting better.
You started the treatment two months ago, right?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“Have you given her all the antibiotics I had prescribed?”
“Yes.”
“Sticking to the right doses?”
“Yes, damn it, yes!” Clovis exclaimed, unnerved.
“So...” The doctor lost his words. He didn't know what to say.
“So?”
“Mr. Wolff, I’m—”
“Doctor, please... tell me there’s hope for my daughter.”
The doctor took off his glasses and squinted his eyes, perhaps trying to dry them off. He sat
down. Clovis didn't know how to interpret his reaction. He was afraid. His body was shaking and
his vision was clouding. He needed to be reassured, he needed to know that his daughter could have
been saved. If there had been even minimal hope he wouldn’t have been forced to take part in the
Holy Grail War. A small ray of light would’ve been enough.
The doctor murmured:
“I'm sorry...”
“No... please, don't say it” Clovis was about to collapse.
“There’s a possibility that... she has a form of tuberculosis that we call TDR-TB or totally drug-
resistant tuberculosis.”
“No...”
“I didn’t say that she has that form of tuberculosis but... it could be a possibility.”
“I beg you, doctor... please... save her,” Clovis was about to cry.
“Tomorrow I'll come get her, Mr. Wolff. We will do other exams and try to find out what it is.
Don't lose your hopes completely.”
“Okay. I will...”
He turned to see his daughter's face. Such a sweet, kind and pretty little girl slept like a little
angel; but that thing inside her, which was slowly killing her, was unacceptable to Clovis. He
couldn’t accept standing still, passive, waiting for the terrible news that the child couldn’t be cured.
“Okay...” Clovis murmured again.
The doctor left the room and Clovis remained alone with his daughter Freda. He went over to the
little girl and took her warm hand. He cuddled her and whispered:
“Dad will save you, I promise.”

12
 In a circular hall with twenty columns of red marble, one hundred and twenty two magi had
taken their seats, wearing a black suit and a red cloak. At the center of the hall stood the depiction
of a magus who was about to execute a lamb with an ax. The magi had gathered for the Sixteenth
Congress of the Rote Mäntel.
As usual, the appeal was made by the High Councilor, then the two leaders of the organization
were presented: Arvin Kraus, the Roter Vater, and Emory Huber, the Rote Mutter. The Council
greeted the two leaders in unison:
“Heil unseren Führern!”
The High Councilor, as always, made a list of the points that needed to be discussed; he clarified
the state of political relations with other magi organizations and eventually introduced a new
member to the Council.
The Sixteenth Congress officially began.
Arvin Kraus, raising his hands, greeted the Council with the manner of a king:
“Willkommen, brüder und schwestern. Today, fifteen May of 2021, the Sixteenth Congress of the
Rote Mäntel begins. As you already know, a terrible disaster occurred in Japan two days ago. The
‘Disaster of Ibaraki’, they call it. An earthquake caused almost certainly by a strong magical energy.
But we are not here to talk about this, or at least that's not the topic I want to talk about.” He paused
briefly. “I believe it’s more important to emphasize what the Disaster of Ibaraki symbolizes. To be
more precise: that’s a sign that the war has finally begun. For years the Holy Grail War has been on
our doorstep without ever showing its face. But from today things will change, because from today
we will officially take part in the Holy Grail War.”
The men and women of the Council cheered; High Councilor Herbert pretended to smile.
“The Holy Grail War, as you know, was devised by our ancestors to guarantee the magi the
possibility of obtaining the holy relic capable of fulfilling their wishes. Every magus desires power,
this is in our nature and we must be proud of it. For the Magi it has always been difficult to find the
Holy Grail, it’s even more difficult to obtain it while respecting the rules established by the
Assembly. We have waited. We waited with bated breath and in the meantime we got ready, we
sweated for the sole purpose of winning the Holy Grail War.”
More applause and shouts of joy.
“The time has finally come to obtain the Holy Grail and to surpass the other organizations. This
is the time to prove our strength. This is the time to win!”
The Council exploded with joy and Arvin Kraus accepted the praise with open arms and a smile
on his face.
“So, it’s time to present to you a man.This man, our brother, has decided to volunteer to fight
this war.”
At that moment Clovis stood up. Arvin smiled and introduced him:
“He is Clovis Wolff and has offered to fight the Holy Grail War. He will fight for us and for
you.”
The Council hailed Clovis as if he were a paladin.
“Tell me, Clovis, are you aware of the risks you'll run?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Are you aware that you could die?”
“Yes, I know I could die in this war but I'm not afraid.”
Herbert was taciturn, yes, but his heart wept at the sight of a young man giving his life for the
Grail. He wanted to stop him, but there was nothing he could do.
Arvin Kraus asked, “Will your heart be of iron?”
“Yes, it will be of iron and fire.”
“Will your soul be brave?”
“My soul will be brave like a thousand men in front of the apocalypse.”
“Will you fight for the Rote Mäntel?”
“I will fight and die for the Rote Mäntel!” proudly exclaimed Clovis.

13
 “You have my blessing, Clovis Wolff. Rot ist dein Geist. Don't disappoint us, brother.”
“I humbly thank the organization for the kindness granted.”
Arvin Kraus sat down, then the old woman, Emory Huber, stood up. The woman exclaimed,
with a tone of approval:
“You’re a brother worthy of our support and our blessing, Clovis Wolff. We will provide you
with the Servant with which you will fight this war. Bring us the Grail and you will be remembered
forever by our organization. You fail to do this and you will be forgotten.”
“Ja, meine Dame. I will not fail.”

“Are you ready?” Veronica asked Hiro.

The two were in a Buddhist temple. The magic circle had already been prepared on the wood and
the fan was positioned in the center of it. Sunahara Hiro turned to look at the girl behind him who
had an excited grimace, then asked her:
“You're anxious, I see. Is this normal?”
“This is the calm before the storm, my dear Hiro. Can't you feel this warm feeling? It looks like a
flame that is ready to burn everything. By now there is little time left, Hiro. The war will break out
and we will all be involved. So be brave, summon the Servant.”
“Okay... I’m ready.”
Hiro opened his hand towards the symbol drawn on the ground and began to concentrate his
magical energy on it. The symbol lit up blue, a powerful roar was heard. The magic energy emitted
by that ritual could be perceived even in Hamburg.

In the german city, inside a church, Clovis Wolff was with the other members of the Rote
Mäntel. The glyph had already been drawn on the stone. The man took a deep breath and
approached to put an old tome at the center of the hexagram. He walked away and, opening his
hand, began to recite the magic formula:
“Ich rufe dich vom Tod in diese Welt im Krieg. Ich rufe dich aus der Vergangenheit, um in der
Gegenwart zu kämpfen. Ich rufe dich an, meinen Willen zu tun! Wir werden im Blut und im Kampf
gefesselt sein! Come to me, Servant!”
The symbol lit up in a white color and, after a powerful roar, there was a magical explosion that
overwhelmed those present.
In Hamburg, Clovis Wolff stood up and saw an old man with a long white beard; he wore a red
and black dress that resembled a typical garment of medieval nobility. This man had a book and a
goose feather with him and when he saw his Master he bowed his head slightly and said:
“I’m honored to have been called by you. I'm Caster, are you my Master?”
“The honor is mine, hero from another time, I’m Clovis Wolff and from today I’m your Master.
Together we will win this war.”
“Of course.”
In Japan, Sunahara Hiro stood up and, still stunned, saw a girl with long black hair in the middle
of the smoke, her right eye was green and her left was yellow. This girl wore samurai armor and
carried a fan and a katana. The girl, opening her fan, exclaimed proudly:
“I'm Rider, are you my Master?”
Hiro was speechless, he had never seen a Servant. Veronica approached the boy and, placing her
hand on his shoulder, said to him:
“Now it's time to go to war, my dear Hiro. Don't hold back.”
“I won't.” He turned to Rider: “Yes, I am your Master.”
“Perfect! Together we will win this war, Master.”

Meanwhile in Rome, inside a church, Alessandro Serpi was lying on a wooden bench with half-
closed eyes; his legs were crossed and his hands were behind his head. The boy was resting his
mind, he needed to relax. Too many thoughts bothered him. Too many thoughts worried him. He

14
was afraid to go to war. He was afraid of dying for the Holy Grail. He had no desire, he was not
interested in anything, yet he was forced to fight because the Coven had told him to do it.
At that moment he felt the magical energy emanating from the Servants that had been
summoned. He got up from the bench, wiped his mouth from the saliva and stretched. After looking
around, he headed towards the glyph he had drawn on the ground; in the middle of it, the gladius
had been placed.
He stood looking at it. He didn't want to do the magic ritual. He didn't want to summon the
Servant. Summoning the Servant meant taking part in a massacre, it meant risking dying for a cup
of desires. The Holy Grail, the chalice with the blood of Christ which is said to guarantee every
magus every desire.
Was it really worth it?
Was it really worth fighting the Holy Grail War? Alessandro Serpi sat on the floor in front of the
symbol and spoke to the sword:
“You're really heavy, you know? Since I got you I realized that you're really heavy. If I were to
do the magic ritual I could never go back. To summon you would mean accepting the war. But I
don't care about the war. I don't want anything from the Holy Grail. For me it doesn't make sense to
fight, the Coven knows it. Yet the Grand Master chose me to summon you. Why? I know why.
Because I have potential—but what does it mean to have potential? Nothing.”
Alessandro almost expected a response from the sword. He started talking again:
“You know, the truth is that I am nobody. They say I'm good, but it's really all luck. I'm a failure
who has a lot of luck, that's why I'm here. But I have no dreams, I have no desires, I have no
purpose. I joined the Coven just because my mother forced me to do it. If she had been quiet I
probably would’ve been a professor or would’ve continued to work as a librarian. I'm a nobody and
I don't deserve to be here. The truth is that I don't want to summon you. The truth is that...”
Alessandro took a deep breath, he muttered, putting his hands over his face to hold back the
tears:
“The truth is that I don't want to fight. I just want to have a quiet life, I want to be happy, I want
to feel good... I don't want to fight. I don't want that stupid Holy Grail. But nobody cares. Nobody
cares. My mother didn’t care, the Coven doesn’t care, the Grand Master doesn’t care... they just
want to squeeze me like a lemon.”
A quick burst of anger drove Alessandro's fist against the wood.
“They say I have something special, but they only say it to disguise their intention to manipulate
me. How else can you explain—no, seriously, how else can you explain such a thing? Seriously,
fuck! I, a nobody, suddenly find myself forced to summon a Servant to go and die in a fucking war.
All this... is too much.”
He stopped. He looked at that sword. The desire to escape was immediately stifled by the harsh
reality.
“But it doesn’t matter, right? Whether I'm happy or sad, whether I'm fine or in pain, whether I'm
bleeding or not... in the end, it doesn't matter. The Coven gave me an order and expects me to
execute it, if I did not execute it I would pay the consequences. I'm stuck. I have only two choices.
How disgusting—that sucks... and what will you do, Servant? Will you protect me? Will you help
me win and give me a peaceful life? Will you—what fuck am I doing? Let’s get over it.”
Alessandro rose from the ground and opened his hand towards the symbol. He took a deep
breath, trembling, and finally decided to pronounce the magic formula:
“Deum benedicite mihi, benedicat anima mea, benedicat mihi in gladio, ferrum et sanguine,
protegas me, in hoc belli! I invoke the Servant!”
A red light illuminated the glyph, Alessandro moved away as soon as he noticed an alarming
increase in magical energy. He knew an explosion would break out. The light became more intense.
A strong current of air rose and then, as had been foreseen, a magical explosion was generated.
After the bright red the blinding darkness.
Smoke and sulfur stink occupied the church.

15
 Alessandro saw a female figure appear. She had silver hair, red eyes and a armor. The girl didn’t
have a helmet but wore a crown of laurels. Alessandro was amazed by the vision of that perfect
female figure, that woman looked like Venus with the body of Juno.
The girl picked up the ruined sword that was on the floor and, as soon as she gripped it, the blade
was enveloped in a glow and lost its Roman aspect to approach a medieval identity; the handle took
on a golden color and the arched guard resembled a laurel wreath; the knob, on the other hand, had
the appearance of an eagle's head.
The Servant sheathed her sword and approached Alessandro, who was still puzzled. She raised
her hand and exclaimed, with the pride of a queen:
“I am the Servant you summoned. I am the most glorious figure in this world and the next world.
You will now refer to me with the name of Saber! But now let me ask you a very important
question: are you my Master?”

CHAPTER 3

Alessandro was lying on the bed and was constantly looking at the ceiling. He had no idea what
to do. He thought that once the Servant was summoned, things would go on on their own. He left
the bed and exhibited his chest in front of the mirror. The symbol of the contract with Saber had
appeared right there, it was not large in size and was positioned precisely where the heart was
located. It was frightening. Alessandro felt he was having difficulty breathing, as if the symbol was
pressing on his chest. The terrible sensation made him shake and he immediately rushed for a glass
of water.
“Fuck this thing,” he murmured to himself.
It was night and he was with Saber in a hotel room. Saber was in front of the television, like a
child opening a gift package, and watching the news trying to understand more about the era in
which she was.
Saber commented:
“Many things remind me of my time. It doesn't seem like much has changed since my death.
There are the plots, the wars, the conquests, the corruption, the sex scandals... even the problems are
similar.”
“I imagine...” Alessandro didn't really want to talk.
Saber immediately noticed the unwillingness of his Master and asked, irritated,“What are we
doing here, Master? We should fight for the Holy Grail, why are we here? Can I know?”
“I'm waiting for orders from the Coven.”
“The Coven?”
“It’s a magi organization I work for.”
“Aah, sapientes. It’s good to have them in our side.”
“They are not really wise. They practice Magecraft, that’s why we call them ‘magi’, which is the
plural of ‘magus’.”
“The same thing. The sapientes were philosophers, mathematicians and astrologers, but above all
experts in the arcane arts. It was thus in Achaea, in Aegyptus, in Gallia and in the Urbe. Are you
one of those who can control water or do you make things invisible?”
“I know how to manipulate water, but I would like to know a Magecraft to make things and
people invisible... even myself. What do you think of the magi? You liked them?”
“Not always. It depended on the moments. If I had to learn something, then they were a good
tool, but politically they have always been irrelevant. In politics only three things matter: money,
the army and friends. The knowledge of the sapientes is easily replaceable and, while good for the
spirit, it’s not very good to have in order to obtain glory. Sex is more useful than knowledge in this
sense.”

16
 Saber spoke with a clarity that was disconcerting. Alessandro knew the bare minimum about the
Servants and was aware that these were, basically, familiars. But Saber seemed like something
more. It was clear from her words that she was an intelligent woman, very intelligent, but above all
pragmatic and with clear ideas.
“What about you, Master? Do you like the magi?”
“Not really. For the most part I don’t care.”
“Is that so? Mm... and what do you think of this war?”
“I'll be honest with you, I didn't even want to fight. I was forced to participate.”
“That’s a... problem. It's not serious but it might be difficult to fight alongside a soldier who
doesn't want to fight.”
“Well, we’re here. There’s nothing we can do about it.”
Saber went back to watching television. Alessandro lay down on the bed again and tried to fall
asleep. Talking to Saber had not relaxed him, in fact, it had reminded him that he would have to
fight against other Masters and other Servants. A curse came from his mouth.
“Are you worried about the war, Master?”
“I'm surprised you aren't.”
“I'm used to this tension. Also, when I was alive, I had my own methods of treating anxiety and
fear.”
“Is that so? Do you want to teach me one? It would suit me.”
Saber stood up and, in a very direct manner, made a request to the boy:
“Take off your clothes.”
“Wai—what?”
“Your clothes.Take them off. Let's have sex.”
Silence filled the room. A strong disbelief was painted on Alessandro's face. Saber's request
sounded completely inappropriate to his ears, but he realized that she was probably acting in
accordance with her historical habits.
“I get it, forget it. I thought you had something more practical,” he said sharply.
“Really? Did you just refuse to spend a night with me?! For real?! Wait, are you saying this
because you're a virgin?”
“Mm? And what is that supposed to mean? I'm not interested in you in that sense, period,” he
said irritated by Saber's audacity. “I'm not going to waste such an important thing with the first
person that happens to me.”
“Aah, so you're the sentimental type, I see. Well, fine. I feel a little weird, but ok. Now I
understand how Cicero felt.” Then she added in a low voice, “For Jupiter's balls, I hope I don't
become a loser like that lawyer with the small sword.”
“What?”
“No, nothing. Nothing. I was just thinking about the old days.”
Saber sat back on the sofa and enjoyed the television. Alessandro tried to fall asleep again but,
once again, he was disturbed by the woman, who gave a surprise exclamation. He was about to
leave the room to find a place to rest. He got out of bed and saw that on television they were talking
about the Ibaraki earthquake; when they showed the pictures, the boy was shocked. Alessandro had
heard of it inside the Coven, the theories about the disaster were different but almost all agreed to
hold the Holy Grail responsible. But hearing about it was one thing, seeing that immense chasm
with his own eyes was another thing.
Alessandro sat down next to Saber and took the remote control to turn up the volume. The details
that were given were half irrelevant and half completely false. The boy didn’t expect anything
exceptional from the news, but he hoped to receive at least a crumb of clue that he could use to
understand the cause of the earthquake. Saber asked Alessandro:
“Where is that place?”
“Are you talking about Ibaraki?”
“Exactly. Where is it?”

17
 “In Japan” he replied.
“Can you take me there?”
“No, I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“The Coven. They want me to fight the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil, if they saw me doing
anything else they would get me killed. So, not a chance.”
“You're weird, Master.”
Saber rose from the sofa and approached Alessandro; the boy, seeing the girl coming closer and
closer to him, distanced himself timidly, but she didn’t stop. Saber grabbed Alessandro by the wrist
and took him to her then, like a mother, caressed his cheek gently and lovingly and said:
“I can feel it, Master, I can feel you have a lot of magical energy. Near you I feel very
powerful... and yet, despite this, I see that you’re reluctant. You shouldn't be afraid to fight, you’re a
powerful magus. Why are you acting like this?”
Saber's sharpness took Alessandro by surprise, and with an abrupt movement he turned away from
the girl and replied:
“None of your business.”
“You're wrong.”
“What do you want from me? You are a Servant, right? You're good at doing one thing: fighting.
So think about fighting, don't be a psychologist. My personal problems don't concern you.”
Saber slapped Alessandro. The boy, taken aback by that violent and unjustified blow, was about
to get angry, but Saber exclaimed with cold military authority:
“You're wrong! Your personal problems concern me because if you have problems, I have
problems. In an army, all individuals count, I can guarantee this. From personal experience I can
assure you that every individual, every soldier, must be lucid, free of mental obstacles, otherwise
they risks not making the military machine work. If you have problems, it's my business too,
period.”
“Listen—”
“No, you listen: I advise you to cooperate with me, Master, because I don't like to lose.”
He walked away from the girl and snorted aggressively. The one who spoke to him was only a
Servant, he thought, she couldn’t understand him and was only born to make a war to obtain the
Holy Grail. She was a tool, a weapon and nothing else.
At that moment the telephone rang. Alessandro answered the call: it was the Grand Master
Giovanni Monteverdi X. Alessandro asked:
“Grand Master, do we have news of the Grail?”
“Yes, disciple. We know where it will appear, we were contacted by the war supervisor and she
told us everything.”
“So, where?”
“London.”
“London...” he repeated murmuring.
“Exactly. You will leave tomorrow. Good luck, disciple. Win the Grail for the Coven.”
“As you wish, Grand Master. It will be done.”
Alessandro ended the call. He looked at Saber, she was leaning against the wall near the exit; her
arms were crossed and she was anxiously awaiting the order of the Master. He looked at her and
said, in a voice devoid of enthusiasm and full of discomfort:
“We have to go, Saber. We will take a plane...”
“Where are we going, Master?”
“London... London... we go to London, Saber.”
“Are you okay, Master?” she asked, worried.
“Forget it, now it is useless to back down. The die is cast.”
“Ah!” exclaimed Saber, smiling with a haughty expression, and added: “I’ve heard those words
before. You’re right, it’s too late... alea iacta est.”

18
 Clovis Wolff was sitting at the airport waiting for his flight. With his arms crossed and his eyes
half-closed, he rested. A few hours earlier he had had to find an excuse with his wife to justify the
departure, the two had quarreled but he decided nevertheless to leave. Here he was, then, in his
chair waiting for a direct flight to London to fight the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil.
Herbert's voice woke Clovis:
“Are you waiting for the plane?”
Clovis turned to his left and saw his friend sit two chairs away from him. He remained silent. He
didn't answer the question because he knew the answer was obvious and that his friend would
understand it for himself. He closed his eyes again to try to fall asleep, but Herbert insistently
asked:
“How did your wife take it?”
“Not very well” Clovis grumbled.
“I see... do you still want to fight the Holy Grail War?”
“What do you want, Herbert?” asked Clovis, unnerved.
“It's not worth it, Clovis. Fighting this war makes no sense. You will die and—”
“Have you already lost faith in my skills?”
“You know that's not it. I've already told you, Clovis, the Holy Grail War is just a useless
massacre done in the name of a desire that could destroy the balance of the world. Didn't you really
learn anything from history?”
“Stop being a teacher with me. You have no idea what my difficulties are.”
“You're right, but—”
“No! Shut up! I don't want to know. By now it's too late to go back. Don't try to change my
mind, Herbert. It's not worth it.”
Clovis saw the departure board and realized that his flight was ready. He got up, took his bags
and muttered in an impatient voice:
“Maybe we'll meet again or maybe not. See you, my old friend and mentor.”
“Wait,” exclaimed Herbert.
“What do you want now?”
Clovis shot an irritated and hasty look at his friend. Herbert, for the first time in his life, felt
shaken by Clovis's ways of doing things. He knew he could no longer do anything to prevent his
friend from taking part in the war, however, he didn’t want to let him leave without first clarifying
his position. He needed to make Clovis understand that he was on his side, even though he didn't
agree with his choice.
Herbert told him:
“I'm not your enemy, Clovis, I want you to know. I know that lately it seems—I mean, I
disappointed you. I know it may seem that I want to be your enemy, but it’s not so. I don't want
your daughter to die, I want the good of your family like you... but... this is not the way, Clovis. The
Holy Grail War is a bet with the Devil. You have everything to lose and—I mean, you’re my best
friend and I don't want to lose you. Can you at least understand this? Do you realize it?”
“Yes. I love you too, Herbert, but I must go.”
“I’ll pray for you, my friend.”
“Thanks. Goodbye, Herbert.”
Clovis left. London awaited him.

“So this is London! Look over there! That huge tower with a clock! This place is really
cool!” excitedly exclaimed Sunahara Hiro to her friend and colleague, Veronica Drakenberg.
The girl, curious, asked him: “Have you ever been to London?”
“No. I have to tell you, this place is really weird for me. I mean, look: double-decker buses, red
telephone boxes and all these people from all over the world! Compared to Kyoto, this place is
more lively! More colorful! I don't know if you understand me.”

19
 “I think so. The first time I came here I was only ten years old and my father took me to
Westminster Abbey. It was there that, for the first time, my father told me about Magecraft. I don't
know why he chose that place or moment to do it, but I know that since then my life changed
completely.”
Hiro immediately noticed Veronica's melancholy look and he wanted to console her, especially
with the aim of arousing strong feelings for him in her:
“Is everything okay?”
“Don't worry about me, my dear Hiro. You're the one who has to fight this war, not me.”
“Right, sorry.”
Veronica led Hiro to a luxury hotel. She paid for the room that would host the two of them and
also the Servant. They reached the room using the elevator and, once inside, began to empty their
luggage.
The reserved room had a spotless bathroom, a small living room with a high-definition
television, a kitchen and a bedroom with a double bed.
Seeing the bed, Hiro saw those erotic fantasies that he cherished within himself become, little by
little, reality. He touched the sheets and imagined spending a passionate night with Veronica and,
when the girl entered the room, he asked, in a submissive voice that tried to sound confident:
“Will we—I mean, you and me, you know... sleep together?”
“No,” she answered quickly.
“Okay. But where will you sleep?”
“On the couch, isn't it obvious?”
“The couch? But... it will be uncomfortable and... you may also fall and—”
“The couch is perfect, thank you.”
Hiro was defeated again, but he didn't give up and tried another way to flirt with her. Veronica
apparently seemed not to be bothered by the boy's obstinacy and, once she made it clear where she
was going to sleep, she started unpacking her bags.
Veronica took a tome of at least a thousand pages from one of her bags. The cover was black and
full of silver symbols; in the center there was a tree around which there were nine circles. When
Hiro saw the book he became curious and tried to open it, but the girl suddenly came to grab his
hand and said with a fake smile:
“This is not yours. You can't read it.”
He apologized and put the book aside. Another failure, but he didn't give up. Hiro, therefore,
began to sneak a peek as Veronica pulled her things out of the bag. In the first bag there were
nothing but books, alchemical ingredients in glass containers and some scroll. As soon as it was the
turn of the second bag, Hiro expected to see who knows what... but he only discovered other books
and scrolls. He would’ve expected to see some underwear in there, at least, but the fact that the girl
hadn't brought anything raised a doubt in him.
“Don’t you... er... have change?”
“Mm? Are you one of those who fetishize women's underwear?”
“Wha—no! No! No! I was just—why don’t you ha—”
“My dear Hiro, I don’t need such things. I’m... special. Just like you.”
“Oh, fine...”
“We’re fine?”
“We are. Yeah.”
Then his eyes fell on a photograph that came from a Veronica’s bag. In the photo was a brown-
haired boy, Hiro had no idea that it was Alessandro Serpi. He had a moment of confusion and
thought that she had a boyfriend or that she was engaged, but he wasn't sure and so he investigated
the matter:
“Who’s the guy in this photo?”
As soon as she saw the photo Hiro was holding, she had a quick reaction and took it from his
hand. The girl's calm expression twisted into one that was terrifying. The boy had the impression

20
that he had just awakened some sort of demon and backed away, frightened by those monstrous
eyes. Those green eyes cast an expression of ice, like that of a murderer in front of the victim. The
most marked disgust appeared on her mouth, it was as if Hiro's presence was nauseating for the girl.
The boy had the feeling that he was trapped with a person who wanted him dead. It was something
surreal. That terrifying silence lasted for twenty seconds. As the girl blinked, a happy expression
covered her face.
“You must never poke your nose into my things, my dear Hiro. Am I clear?”
“Ye—I mean... sure,” he said in a fragile tone.
“Good.” She put the photo away and then added: “I'm helping you, Hiro, but don't think about
acting with me as if I were your best friend. We’re colleagues. Nothing more, nothing less.”
At that moment, Rider appeared. The Servant went to the window, raised the curtains and saw
the city skyline of London.
Veronica sat on the sofa, crossed her legs, and began to observe Rider's behavior carefully. Hiro
asked Veronica, intrigued:
“What is she doing there motionless?”
“The Servants do not belong to our time, as you might know. They are heroes of a distant past
summoned to fight a war for the sole purpose of obtaining the Holy Grail. Many of them adapt
easily to our time, others may take a little longer. Rider, at this moment, is ‘immunizing’, let's say
so. She's trying to accept this world a little at a time.”
“Isn't it automatic?” he asked confused.
“Well, there’s a limit to what magic can do. The body that the Servant possesses has different
properties from a human body: blood, organs, bones, skin, hair, facial features... it's all false, in a
way. Servants don’t need to eat and don’t go to a doctor if they are injured. They depend on the
Master and the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail lays the spiritual foundation for the creation of a body,
the transfer of a mind, and the granting of unique abilities and powers to the Servant. Everything
else is in the hands of the Master.” She paused briefly. “But neither the Grail nor the Master can
predict how the mind will react to the new reality. In ninety-nine percent of cases, the Servant
adapts to the new time without any problems. But exceptions are always possible and sometimes the
Servant develops some sort of... disease.”
“Wait... ‘disease’?!”
“Yes. Consider it a kind of mental illness that mostly develops in Servants who didn’t accept
their death in their previous life. These Servants wish to reincarnate... and that's a problem, because
it means they care about themselves and their life rather than the Grail. A tool must never act
against its user.”
“Okay... and... how do I understand that she has adapted?” asked Hiro, worried.
“If she doesn't kill you it means she's all right,” she smiled.
“Not the answer I expected.”
Rider hadn't moved yet, she was as if captured by the city landscape and her eyes were like those
of an eagle. Hiro, puzzled, asked Veronica:
“How long will this thing go on?”
“I have no idea” she answered in a playful tone.
“Well, then—wait, did you say her body is fake?”
“Yeah, it’s... ‘fake’ in the sense that it’s a replica.”
“Made of what?”
“Mana. The energy of the world produced by every living thing. She’s a compound of living
mana, like a familiar... but more complex. She’s made of mana and she needs mana to keep staying
in this world and fighting. Servants are... ‘leeches’ in that sense... or ‘mana-suckers’, if you like.”
“Oh, what if I don't have enough mana?”
“Well, that’s your problem, my dear Hiro. I can help you up to a point, the rest is in your hands.”
“Okay, okay, in the meantime how do we know if there are other Servants or not?”

21
 Rider intervened in the discussion and, after casting a menacing glance at Veronica, turned to
Hiro and said:
“They've arrived.”
“Excuse me?” Hiro asked, turning to her.
“I said they arrived. I'm perceiving another Servant. Now they are two, now they are three, and
now they are—”
“Okay! I understood! We’re screwed! Veronica, what's the plan?”
“You are the Master. This is your war, not mine.”
“But I... don't know what to do.”
Veronica sighed and got up from the couch. She grabbed Hiro by the sleeve of his suit and held
him up to the window then, with her finger, pointed out that there was a Master out there, under the
hotel, that wasn't attacking. She said:
“His name is Murakawa Tetsuya. From what I know he's Lancer's Master.”
“Why doesn't he attack us?” the boy asked confused.
“The war is usually fought at night to avoid problems with civilians. He knows we're here but he
won't attack us until the sun goes down. Do you understand?”
“Yes. But what should I do in your opinion?”
“Well, you should—”
“One moment!” exclaimed Rider.
“What's going on, Rider?” asked Hiro.
“Why do you take advice from this girl? Master, are you sure she's not involved in this war? Are
you sure she doesn't want to have the Grail?”
“Come on, don't be paranoid. Veronica just wants to help us, doesn't she?”
The eyes of Veronica and Rider collided brutally, it was as if the two were having a silent war.
Veronica exhibited a pleased grin, Rider replied with a defiant look.
“You’re right not to trust me, Rider,” Veronica said coldly. “But don't get carried away by the
pride of your past. You’re an object, not a person, and objects don’t face their owners.”
“Your arrogance irritates me, brat. If you had been a subject of mine, I would have cut your
tongue personally.”
Hiro intervened to calm the hot spirits and managed, with the right words, to avoid a physical
confrontation.

That night, outside the hotel, Hiro Sunahara went in search of the other Master. He was
accompanied by Rider and they explored the area but with no positive result.
During the night patrol, Hiro devoted his attention to the features of Rider and couldn’t restrain
his warm imagination. The woman wore red Japanese armor and she had the bearing of a noble
samurai, but she also looked like a beautiful princess. If she was a hero of the past, Hiro wanted to
know who she was. Was she a queen? A wife of some samurai? Or was she one of those few
women who had had the privilege of wearing armor? Her expression and attitude made one think of
a ruler, but Hiro didn't know much about history and therefore it was difficult for him to deduce the
identity of the Servant.
“What is your name?” he asked.
“Rider.”
“Ye—no—I—I mean your REAL name. Do you understand? What's your name?”
“I can't tell you, I'm sorry.”
“Why not? I mean, I’m your Master.”
“The name is, for a Servant, a treasure and a curse. It can say everything: it can say what our
weaknesses and our strengths are. Believe me, it’s better that the enemy doesn’t come to know my
name.”
“But I'm not the enemy.”
“No, it's true, but you're immature.”

22
 “Excuse me?” Hiro was offended by that sharp criticism.
“Forgive me, Master, I don't want to be disrespectful but... you must understand that it’s difficult
for me to trust such a childish person.”
“I’m not—”
“I saw how you behaved with that girl. I notice the way you look at me. I'm not accusing you, I
know you're thinking like someone your age, but it's annoying to have to deal with a Master who
prioritizes erotic thoughts over paying attention to the surrounding area.”
“I wasn't doing anything like—”
“You literally spent two full minutes looking at my chest. It’s not polite, it’s not useful and it’s
childish. That's why I don't trust you, I can't trust a child.”
Hiro felt bad to hear that criticism from his own Servant. He knew he wasn’t the best in the
Sunahara family, he was aware of it. He knew his father looked at him like an inept magus, unable
to do even the simplest Magecraft and knew perfectly well that almost everyone considered his
sister, Hisae, a natural talent, a magus worthy of being the spokesperson for the Sunahara family.
Hiro wasn't all that. He had no talent, he was not as good as her and he was aware of it. Rider's
criticisms did nothing but put salt on the wound.
The boy, feeling guilty, stopped looking at the woman and turned his gaze to the asphalt.
At that exact moment, a spear was thrown towards Hiro. Rider, quickly, stood in front of him
and diverted the blow with the katana; the spear was grabbed on the fly by a Servant: Lancer.
The two warriors exchanged a cold glance. Lancer, pointing her weapon at the opponent,
exclaimed:
“You’re good enough, considering that you’re together with that weak Master. As you may have
guessed, I’m Lancer and I’m here to take your life.”
“Really? Do you really think you're strong enough to face me, Lancer? You’re pathetic! You
don't look much like a warrior, let me tell you.”
“Do we want to find out, Rider?”
Lancer rushed at full speed to Rider and kicked her in the stomach; Rider managed to land on her
feet but Lancer suddenly reappeared behind her and immediately tried to stab her with the spear.
Rider spun around and parried the various attacks then, with great cunning, she pretended to hit the
left forcing Lancer to raise her guard to the right then, quickly, she immediately changed position
and attacked the opposite side. Lancer, like lightning, stopped the blade and kicked back.
Rider didn't fall, but was stunned by the opponent's reaction speed. She never thought Lancer
could move that fast. Rider asked Hiro:
“Have you noticed too, Master?”
“Yeah... I think,” he replied wavering.
“Never mind...” she said in a low voice with slight disappointment.
Rider, holding the katana well, attempted to perform a set of movements that would’ve forced
Lancer to open her guard: aimed at the throat, attack blocked; she aimed at the right leg, parried;
then the left side, Lancer parried; then the opposite side, Lancer blocked; she repeated the first
attack and at the same time stepped on Lancer's foot; the opponent lost focus, Rider lunged quickly.
Lancer, with superhuman speed, was able to block the attack, circle around Rider and use the pole
to make her lose balance. Rider fell but got up immediately; she was stunned by the strength of her
opponent.
“Are you surprised, Rider?” asked Lancer in a bold tone.
“I don't know how you managed to survive such a blow, but know that it's not the only kind of
attack I can do. So get ready, Lancer, because next time you won't be so lucky.”
At that time came Lancer’s Master: Murakawa Tetsuya. He, with an annoyed grimace, looked
around and exclaimed:
“Fighting on the streets of a city is so trivial. It's fortunate that there’s no one at the moment,
otherwise it would have been trouble. So, are you the Master of Rider?”
“Exactly! I'm Sunahara Hiro!” he exclaimed proudly.

23
 “Sunahara? I know that surname. You belong to that family of magi who have never been able to
match the Tohsaka, am I right?” Murakawa wasn’t impressed. “You don't look like a magus, I have
to be honest. You have a low amount of mana and, to make matters worse, you have the face of a
brat who has just come out of high school. I'm tired of facing kids who still have diapers. I want a
real challenge.”
“Bastard! Don’t underestimate me!” Hiro screamed throwing a powerful shock wave with his
hands.
Tetsuya was pushed back a few inches. Hiro was shocked. He was sure his attack was much
more powerful than that.Tetsuya, laughing, exclaimed:
“What the fuck was that? The girl's push? Are you fucking with me, right now?”
“What ...?” Hiro was left speechless.
“ Let me guess, you had already used that Magecraft with other brats from your school but had
had a different effect with them. Did you turn them over? Did you kill them? Did you send them
back to their mother's womb? It doesn't matter, because with me that stuff doesn't work. Do you
want to know why? Because I developed my mana. I'm a real magus, not just any asshole.”
“No... it's impossible...” Hiro couldn't believe it.
“It's not impossible, brat. It's true. You’re a scarce magus whose power is basically to push
people to the ground but without touching them. It's not even telekinesis! The problem is that such
Magecraft is devastating for those who are not magi, but for those who are magi... well, I think
you've already figured out where I'm going with this. I don't like repeating myself.”
The man straightened his jacket and, approaching Hiro, cracked his knuckles. An aggressive
smile appeared on his face, like that of a man who was ready to hurt his opponent.
“You disrespected me, brat. I hope you're ready for some ass kicking.”
Hiro was paralyzed with terror. He thought he was at least strong enough to be able to fight
against a magus, but in reality he was not. In reality he has always been weak and incapable. The
boy then understood that he was in a situation where he would die. He didn't want to die. He didn't
want to die so young. His legs could no longer hold and he fell to the ground and began to cry.
Tetsuya, seeing his reaction, mocked him:
“Ah! But look at you, brat! Now you cry like a bitch, huh? Now you're not being a braggart
anymore, huh? We’re all very strong when we take it out on the weakest, it’s a little more difficult
to face someone who knows how to respond.”
“Shut up...” Hiro replied with a humiliated look
“Hey, Lancer! Have you seen this asshole here? He’s crying like a little bitch.”
Both Lancer and Rider couldn't stand the sight of that boy crying on the asphalt. It was a
disheartening and embarrassing image, for both of them.
“I don't know what to say, seriously. I would have expected a real challenge, at the very least.
But here's where I have to kick a whinny baby in the ass. Fuck this shit.”
“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! You damn asshole!” Hiro screamed, angry and in tears.
Tetsuya stopped laughing and, turning to Lancer, said:
“Ok, it's not fun anymore. I got bored. I will not get my hands dirty with the blood of a baby in a
diaper. Lancer, kill them.”
“Yes, Master.”
Lancer started the attack but Rider intercepted it. The two exchanged several blows at high speed
and, initially, seemed to be head to head but then Lancer, with an unexpected move, hit Rider with a
kick that made her crash into the wall of a house. Rider, stunned, tried to recover as quickly as
possible but Lancer was already on the point of inflicting the coup de grace.
Murakawa saw Hiro run at him with a clenched fist. The man dodged the blow with immense
ease and then pushed the boy to the ground with one hand.
“You’re a pathetic sight, brat,” the man said in disgust.
Hiro was grabbed by Tetsuya and thrown to the ground like a garbage bag. Tetsuya turned to
Hiro and said, with a sadistic smile on his face:

24
 “Don't get upset. See your Servant die and go home, brat.”
He turned to Lancer and exclaimed:
“Lancer, finish the job. Let's give a good show to these weaklings.”
“Yes, Master!”
Lancer braced herself for the final attack. Rider was still dazed and unarmed. Lancer launched
the attack, targeting the opponent's heart. In a moment it would all be over.

CHAPTER 4

An arrow. An arrow hit Lancer right in the thigh. The warrior, wounded, had to stop and tore the
arrow from her leg. Tetsuya and his Servant were totally lost: who had fired that arrow?
On a roof of a house, Archer appeared along with his Master: Fukano Harumi. Archer, curling
his fine mustaches, exclaimed, seeing Lancer:
“My rival! A few days have passed since our last meeting! Did you miss me, honey?” he
winked.
“Archer! Son of a pig, how dare you attack me right on the most beautiful part?”
“When I saw you I couldn't help but hurt you, honey.”
“Okay, you bastard, do you want to play the hero of the situation? Then come! I'll be happy to
smash that pig-like head you have!”
“As wish, honey, but don't complain if you can't handle my power.”
Archer, jumping, shot three more arrows together. Lancer parried all three of them without any
problem then, with a dash forward, tried to hit Archer but the latter, with feline speed, shot a fourth
arrow that caught Lancer off guard, hitting her right shoulder.
“Curse you!” she screamed, tearing the arrow from her shoulder.
“Don't be so aggressive towards me, honey. It's not my fault if you suck.”
“Now I'm really angry, Archer!”
“I love when beautiful women get mad, honey.”
Lancer started the attack and directly clashed with Archer. She hit him several times with the
spear but he was able to parry all the attacks using the bow; Lancer, with great skill, was able to
hurt Archer at his side and kicked him to the mat.
Archer, however, used that blood to shoot a crimson arrow that caused a large scarlet explosion
on impact. Archer breathed a sigh of relief. He provoked Lancer on purpose, but he knew that this
warrior was not to be underestimated. The woman, as expected, had managed to survive and
attacked again, even faster than before; this time Archer dodged the blow only by sheer luck.
Meanwhile Harumi clashed with Tetsuya. The girl was pretty good at using Magecraft and this
was unnerving Tetsuya, who decided to stop and not let himself be carried away by anger. He
observed:
“You do pretty well with those magic circles. You use them to enhance your physical abilities,
right? When we met in Ibaraki I thought you were an amateur but now I have to think again. You're
pretty good, you're definitely better than that Sunahara.”
“You also use mana to empower yourself, if I'm not mistaken. It’s a form of Magecraft used by
magi warriors.”
“Glad you noticed.”
“It wasn't difficult to understand.”
“Yeah, I guess it's hard not to guess my Magecraft. But what difference does it make? I'm
stronger than you brats anyway.” He took a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket. “Hey, kiddo, do you
smoke?”
She shook her head.
“If you don't mind I'd like to smoke a little, this situation is quite stressful.”

25
 Tetsuya lit a cigarette and began to smoke it quietly, as if there was no battle going on. He told
Harumi:
“I don't like dealing with brats. I feel like an adult playing in a kindergarten with children. It's
really pathetic, do you realize it? This is a war and I’m forced to fight against adolescents who have
just reached puberty. This is really stupid—I mean, think of that idiot of the Sunahara family: that
retard thought he was the most splendid of the company just because he had grown the first hair on
the balls.”
“Do you have any problems, Murakawa? Are you afraid of being defeated by some ‘children’?”
“Ah! You have a sense of humor, I like you. But no. It’s not a matter of fear, believe me, it’s a
matter of principle. The principle according to which brats shouldn’t enter the adult world. You are
too young to understand the world and yet you act like superheroes, only because some comics have
deluded you into believing that everyone can be special if they have good ideals and excellent
virtues. But the truth is that you are stoned with hormones. You are driven by an irrational force that
makes you think you’re invincible but you’re not. That Sunahara is a living proof of your arrogance.
Fucking idiot.”
Tetsuya threw the consumed cigarette to the ground and turned it off using his foot. Then he took
off his sunglasses and cast a cold look, like a murderer, and said:
“But don't get me wrong: I'm not going to go easy just because you’re a newbie who just stopped
using the pacifier. To be honest, I think I will enjoy seeing you die crying... and I guess it will be
cathartic to bully Sunahara's face.”
Tetsuya put his glasses back on and took out the lighter.
Harumi created a magic circle on the ground and prepared to jump in it, but Tetsuya kicked his
lighter against the girl's head; Harumi fell to the ground, pained, and Tetsuya hit her in the stomach
with a kick that caused her to end up in the middle of the road.
A car passed at that moment and Harumi was about to be overwhelmed, but fortunately she was
saved by Hiro who threw himself on her and took her away from the road.
“Thank you,” she said surprised.
“Technically you also saved me, so I'm paying off the debt.”
“What a good boy,” Tetsuya exclaimed from the other side of the street, then added, “ Now that
you've saved her from the danger I guess you'll feel like a force of nature, right?”
“You talk too much,” Hiro answered.
“I don't doubt it. In fact I got tired of talking, now I'm serious.”
Tetsuya stood right in the middle of the road. As soon as another car arrived, he moved aside and
kicked it violently towards the two boys. The man's strength was superhuman, Hiro had never seen
anyone make a car look as light as a sheet of paper.
Hiro and Harumi threw themselves on the ground and the car exploded behind them. Hiro, angry
and shocked, shouted:
“Murderer! You're a damn murderer!”
“Ok, fine. So? What will you do about it? Are you gonna hit me with your tears?”
Tetsuya hit Hiro in the stomach, grabbed him by the throat and threw him over the garden of a
house. Harumi, who had just risen, tried to reach Hiro but was hit by Tetsuya. The girl fell to the
ground, stunned. Tetsuya took her by the hair and threw her against the wall of a house.
“Ouch!” Tetsuya exclaimed. He shook his hand. “Fuck, a cramp.” Then, addressing the two
Masters, he said, “I don't want to tell you what to do, but I would like to have a bit smarter
opponents. You're acting like punch bags, come on.”
At that moment Tetsuya was hit by Lancer's body: the Servant was stunned. When Tetsuya got
up he saw Archer and Rider allies and realized that there was no point in continuing the battle.
Lancer recovered and said angrily:
“You’re bastards! You only allied to defeat a great warrior like me! You’re cowards!”
“Enough,” said Tetsuya.
“Master—”

26
 “Now it's useless to fight them. They will do teamwork to be able to defeat us, fighting them
now is useless. Let's go for now. We'll kill them tomorrow or the day after tomorrow or maybe in
ten minutes... let's leave them alive for a little while longer.”
Tetsuya and Lancer retreated. The battle was over.

The battle involving the three Servants, Rider, Lancer and Archer, was closely watched by
Caster, who had concealed his presence. With the end of the battle, Caster decided to go and report
everything to his Master who was in a hotel room.
Clovis, hearing his Servant's report, commented:
“It is not yet time.”
He sat in the armchair reading several documents that had been given to him by the Rote Mäntel.
The pages talked about the Holy Grail and the different information the organization had on it. All
the information about the Holy Grail was clear on one thing: it was known that it would appear in
London, but the organization was not aware of where it would appear.
Caster asked, interested, “Do you have a plan, Master?”
“Yes, it's definitely not the one that will get me killed. Those three Masters with their Servants
could be quite difficult to deal with. Especially the Master of Lancer: Murakawa Tetsuya.”
“What do we know about him?”
“Mm? Well, before participating in the Holy Grail War he was an agent of T6, an organization
of magi who are paid to kill particular targets. I had heard of these killers, never met one though.
Murakawa Tetsuya was a hitman who was kicked out of T6 because his methods were considered, I
quote: ‘Immoral, typical of a man completely devoid of empathy for others.’”
“Said by an organization of assassins it sounds somewhat ironic.”
“True. But the fact remains that this Master is dangerous. Very dangerous. He fights using a very
simple but effective Magecraft however, from your report, he doesn't seem to have any martial arts
knowledge.”
“How do you propose to act, Master?”
“I don't want to face him knowing I have other problems. I want to wait. I want to act knowing
that I have everything under control.”
The next morning Clovis woke up on his bed. It was half past eight. He got up and after being in
the bathroom got dressed, had a quick breakfast and finally decided to turn on his cell phone. He
saw a call from Dr. Meyer.
“Holy shit!” exclaimed Clovis shaken.
He had to call the doctor back immediately. Maybe he had good news; but if he had any good
news, what would he do? He still didn't know. He was in the middle of a war and had just begun
planning a way to win it. What if it was good news? What if the doctor discovered a way to cure the
disease? He had no idea but he absolutely needed to hear about Freda.
The doctor called back:
“Hello?” It was Dr. Meyer.
“Hello, doctor. Good morning. I saw that you tried to contact me. So is there any news?”
“Yes, but... it's not good news.”
Clovis's heart stopped. The man began to sweat and had a slight dizziness. With a stammering
voice he said:
“Dr. Meyer, please tell—everything will be fine, yeah? Tell me my daughter will recover. Tell
me my daughter will recover!”
“No, this is unlikely to happen. Your daughter has a form of tuberculosis known as TDR-TB or
totally drug-resistant tuberculosis. There’s no medicine that can heal your daughter, Mr. Wolff. I'm
sorry.”
“Fuck you!” screamed Clovis throwing the phone against the wall.
He overturned the table and threw the chair screaming, again:

27
 “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Christ! It's not fair! God... GOD!” He screamed in anger. “My daughter!
My daughter! She cannot die! My daughter!” His eyes got wet and he dropped to the ground.
“Freda... my little Freda... my angel.. it's not fair—FUCK!”
He put his trembling hands on his head and closed his eyes. He didn't want to cry. He didn't want
to look weak in front of his Servant, but at one point he didn't care and let the tears flow.
At that moment Caster came, slightly astonished by his Master's anger. He looked around and
calmly asked:
“I heard you call God's name. Master, why did you call his name in vain?”
“It wasn't in vain... it was for my daughter. He's letting her die, why? She hasn't done anything
wrong. Why? Why?”
“We cannot understand the divine plan, Master.”
“Fuck the divine plan.”
Clovis then realized that it wasn't all lost. The Holy Grail would have saved his daughter.
Winning the war meant saving Freda. It was time to act. For this he had decided to participate in the
Holy Grail War. It wasn’t selfishness that guided him but the need to save his daughter at all costs.
He would have no mercy for the other Masters.
He stood up. He clenched his fists. He wiped his tears and said to Caster:
“We will win this war, Caster. We will win this war at any cost. I don't care how many will have
to die for me to win, I don't care. We. Will. Win. This. War.”

“Does it hurt you?” Harumi asked as she bandaged Hiro's arm.

“A little,” he replied, trying not to be seen weak.
“Why don't you want to go to the hospital?”
“Don't worry, it's just a small wound. Indeed, if I had not lifted the sleeve of my shirt I wouldn’t
have even realized I had a cut” he was lying but he was aiming to make a good impression on the
new girl.
“Many things have happened. I can understand.”
“Yes, it's true... many things...” He thought back to the heavy words of Murakawa Tetsuya,
which still stung his heart.
Harumi and Hiro were in Regent's Park and were in front of a pond. A little farther on, there
were Rider and Archer, distant from each other, didn't even look into each other's eyes. Hiro,
noticing their unusual attitude, asked Harumi:
“Our Servants fought together and yet behave as if they were enemies. Is it normal for you?”
“They have been allies, it's true, but this is because they had an enemy in common. But
remember that they also have a common goal that will put them against each other. This is true both
for them and for us. You can't blame them if they behave that way.”
“Right, you're right.”
Hiro was embarrassed because he realized he had asked a stupid question. It was obvious that
Harumi was not really a friend. The two had fought together, it's true, but they were still enemies.
Hiro thought back to the battle against Murakawa Tetsuya and, remembering the ineffectiveness of
his Magecraft, he was convinced that perhaps he should not have taken part in the war.
Harumi immediately noticed Hiro's thoughtful look and asked him curiously:
“What are you thinking?”
“I’m weak,” he murmured, tormented. “I'm really weak. I’m a very weak magus” Hiro stated.
“No, wait—why are you saying that?”
“I’m a Sunahara. Being part of a family of magi is not as fun as it might seem. If you’re talented,
you’re a treasure for the family, if not... well, you’re little more than a burden. A part of me, a tiny
one, always thought I had a power my father didn't know about. I was the most feared boy in my
school. I used my Magecraft to get what I wanted, I loved being feared and respected by my peers. I
thought I was a powerful magus. A magus worthy of being part of the Sunahara family.”
“I see...”

28
 She didn't know what to say, she had no idea how to console him. She understood that Hiro was
very sad, and he seemed to be on the verge of tears. But what could she say? How could she console
that boy she had just met and whom she had only helped out of pity?
“Why did you take part in the war?” she asked.
“I don't even know—I mean, I know but... it's complicated,” Hiro answered lying down on the
ground.
“Do you want to win your father's respect?”
“Maybe. Initially I wanted to participate only to show to myself and my family that I was the
strongest magus of the Sunahara, but... there’s more... I would love to have the perfect girl by my
side. I would like to have a lot of money and also a beautiful house, you know?”
“They’re quite generic dreams, I see.”
“I don’t believe it. Not many have the same problems as me, I always thought I was a special
case.”
“You’re serious?” she asked in a low voice with a shocked expression.
“Don't make that face, it almost looks like I said something weird—but then, what do you want
to know about it? You’re a cute girl. I bet you had a problem-free life—in fact, perhaps the biggest
problem in your life has been having to choose which guy to sleep with.”
That frail boy disappeared. In front of Harumi was a cynical and insolent person who spoke
without the slightest respect for her. He didn't know her, yet he dared to say really hurtful things
and she wasn't going to sit there and listen to him. The girl got up and her first instinct was to slap
the boy violently. But it wasn't worth it.
“Archer.” The Servant headed straight for Harumi. “We're leaving.”
It took Hiro a while to realize he had done something wrong, even if he didn't understand what;
he actually felt he had done something that shook Harumi, but he still hadn't decided to blame
himself. He got up and tried to take the girl by the wrist, he wanted to stop her. Archer stopped Hiro
and, with a firm attitude, said:
“Don't touch my princess.”
“I was just—”
“Shut up” Harumi said.
“What's your problem all of a sudden?”
“You. You, Hiro Sunahara, are my problem.”
“Me?!”
“You don’t know me. You don’t know anything about me. Yet you found the courage to insult
me.”
“Fine. I’m sorry.”
“Do you think it's a game? It isn't, Hiro, wake up. This is not your little world of sex and money,
this is a war. All of us have decided to take part in this war with the express purpose of obtaining
something that life has not given us. We’re sacrificing our life for a wish. We’re not playing. I'm
not playing.”
“I’m not playing too—”
“Yes, you are... and the saddest thing is that you don't realize it.”
“Well, fuck you then.”
With his aggressive, almost childish ways, Hiro didn't impress Harumi that much. She knew she
had hurt his pride, but she wasn't going to pity him no more. She ordered Archer to take her away.
Archer picked up Harumi and jumped over the pond.
Rider approached Hiro, she wasn't going to console him, on the contrary a part of her was sure
that Hiro would mature thanks to the criticism. Hiro had not accepted that he was wrong and
persisted in blaming Harumi, without realizing that he was the cause of that fight.
“You should stop thinking about it. She was just stranger... a rival of ours, to be more precise.”
“So what? Can't I even get angry?”
“That's not what I said.”

29
 “But that's what you thought, isn't it? All you do is criticize me, criticize me and criticize me. Do
you know what? Screw you. Screw that bitch. Fuck all of you!”
“Acting like this will get you nowhere, Master.”
“So what?”
“So you have stop.”
Hiro was ready to scream in anger. Rider didn’t move a step and didn’t try to console him, in a
sense she wanted to test him to better understand the nature of her Master.
“If you really want to help me, then help me. But this—I’ve done nothing wrong to deserve this
treatment. I simply decided to participate in this stupid war to make my wish come true. That’s all.”
“Why were you trying to impress Archer's Master earlier?”
“What? I—why do you ask?”
“So you were doing it” she concluded.
“I...”
“You must be aware of this, Master. You must be aware of this serious defect. If you don't
understand it you can't improve yourself. I’ve already pointed this out to you, you spend too much
time indulging the passion of your heart. You have to stop thinking about these things, especially
during this war.”
“I know, Rider, I don't need to be scolded!” he exclaimed.
“I was humiliated by Lancer. Never in my life have I been pushed around like that. This
humiliation torments me, Master, makes me feel like a weak Servant.”
“You’re not weak—”
“I know. You’re the weak one. You’re weakening me, Master.”
The coldness with which Rider spoke those words shocked Hiro. Rider continued:
“I can accept that your mana level is low, I can accept that you lack a strategic mind and that you
are not a real expert magus. I can accept that you’re not physically up to keep up with our enemies.
But I can't tolerate your need to impress the girl of the moment. If you go on this road, defeat will
be certain.”
“But, I—”
“Don't talk. I don't need your words, I want facts. Show me that you’re a worthy Master
otherwise withdrawn from this war and stop fighting. I prefer to abandon rather than be humiliated
as in the last battle.”
At that moment Rider perceived a strong magical presence in London. Her shocked gaze,
directed towards nowhere, was like that of a frightened girl. Initially Hiro didn’t understand the
reaction of his Servant, but then felt a rush of shivers running down his body.
A feeling of dizziness struck his head. His hands began to sweat and his legs trembled. Hiro,
despite being a weak magus , was still able to perceive the magical energy of other magi. The boy
realized he had perceived a truly powerful Master, much more powerful than Murakawa Tetsuya.
Who could it be? What kind of Master could have so much magical power within them?
Rider, on the other hand, perceived a very powerful Servant. She had never experienced that
feeling of terror. She was aware of the fact that the perceived Servant was above average. They
certainly had to be a deified hero or something like that.
Well, what they had perceived was the presence of Alessandro Serpi and Saber, who had just
arrived in London.

CHAPTER 5

It was night when Alessandro Serpi arrived in the largest metropolis in England. Together with
Saber he reached Trafalgar Square. He stopped in front of the large fountain in the square, where he

30
saw the young Veronica Drakenberg sitting on the edge. The girl, seeing Alessandro, stood up and
with an enthusiastic expression exclaimed:
“Have you had a good trip, Saber's Master?”
“Who are you?” he asked, confused.
“Yukiko. Kumahira Yukiko. I'm here with Rider’s Master. I’m his beautiful and brilliant
‘assistant’ and, the most important thing, I’m the overseer of the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil. So is
that Saber there? I didn't recognize her with those clothes that are so... modern.”
Saber wore a sweatshirt with jeans and tennis shoes. To the comment of Yukiko, Alessandro
replied:
“How did you become an overseer, girl?”
“The people I work with have heralded the start of the Holy Grail War. So it goes without saying
that I’m the only one who can oversee it. So far I’ve worked hard to hide the traces of the battle
between Lancer and Rider, so you don't have to worry, Alessandro: you are in good hands.”
“How do you know my name?” he asked suspiciously.
“I know a lot of things,” she answered with a mischievous grin painted on her face.
Alessandro wasn't about to fight, but he quickly realized that the little girl was pretending to be
nice. It was an intuition, nothing more, but the way she behaved was a wake-up call for him.
“I think I'll have to go,” he said.
“You made yourself heard, Alessandro, your magical energy speaks for itself. You’re not a
peacock, are you? No. You’re my little lion... or perhaps it would be more accurate to say ‘snake’.”
Alessandro was ready to answer her but was struck by the fact that he could not perceive
Yukiko's magical energy2. The magical energy was stored in the Magic Circuits of each magus, it
was the main source to use Magecraft and to give energy to the Servants. An average magus had to
have at least fifty Magic Circuits, but Yukiko didn't even have one... or so it seemed. Actually
Alessandro didn’t know. All the magus were able to perceive magical energy, there were those who
could do it well and those who could have problems, but all were able to do it. The ability to
perceive magical energy was minimally a natural gift, derived from being a magus, and largely an
ability whose accuracy depended strictly on the level of study and practice. There could be
variables: distance, fatigue, illness, and so on.
Alessandro was fine, he wasn't tired, and he was only two or three meters from Yukiko; in
addition, he, in his modesty, was very sure that he was able to perceive the magical energy without
problems. But there was nothing.
Maybe she was a homunculus? Many of them had artificially created Magic Circuits and magical
energy stored within them. Even if she had been a homunculus, she would have had to have some
magical energy. A little, yes, but something.
But there was nothing.
The odds of encountering a human directly involved in a Holy Grail War were one in a billion.
That a human could be chosen as the overseer of a Holy Grail War was simply absurd, impossible.
So there were only three possibilities: number one, Yukiko was a homunculus with no Magic
Circuits and wasn’t really the overseer of the Holy Grail War but perhaps the puppet of the true
overseer; number two, Yukiko was a human involved in the Holy Grail War and acting as the
overseer's representative; number three, Yukiko had used a Magecraft to conceal her magical
energy.
If it was the third option, then the question would become: what kind of Magecraft did she use?
Alessandro wasn’t a know-it-all, but he was quite sure he had never heard of a Magecraft capable of
concealing magical energy. The very idea, for him, was paradoxical. Each Magecraft, by nature,
released a trace that could be perceived by any magus.

2
I use the terms ‘magical energy’ and ‘mana’ interchangeably. That’s because in the Polynesian and Malynesian
cultures, mana is considered energy and power. The ‘odic force’ of von Reichenbach is not considered in this work. In a
nutshell: no Od, only Mana.

31
 But there was nothing. Nothing. Even corpses might have a residue of magical energy, but this
girl had nothing. Literally nothing.
A fourth possibility arose out of nowhere: perhaps that girl was no ordinary magus. When that
doubt came to Alessandro's attention, a shiver of terror ran down his body. Yukiko's kind attitude
and her smile became scarier than they seemed.
It was time to conclude that meeting, he said:
“We have nothing to say to each other, I have a war to fight and you have your... duties.”
“Sure sure... but we can always have a chat. I'd really like to know who your first victim will be.
If you want easy catch, I know someone who might be right for you.”
“I don't know what game you're playing, but I won't go along with you. Our meeting ends here,
Yukiko.”
Alessandro was already ready to leave, but his path was cut by the girl.
“The saying goes: ‘Det är ingen ko på isen’. Don't worry about me, I won't bite you. If you trust
me, I promise you great things will happen.”
“I bet that's what you told to the Master of Rider. Your problem is: I'm not a fool. In my country
there’s a saying that goes: ‘Più il fiume è profondo, più scorre in silenzio’. I don't trust you, stay
away from me or the first victim will be you.”
Alessandro Serpi and Saber moved away from Yukiko.
Alessandro didn’t want to fight the Holy Grail War but could no longer run away, he could not
refuse to fight against the other Masters. He had only one goal: to end the war as quickly as
possible.

The following morning, in the hotel room, Alessandro prepared a map of London and placed it
on the floor. Saber, meanwhile, was in the bathroom taking a shower. The boy threw on the map of
the city some salt and, snapping his fingers, exclaimed:
“Revelare!”
The salt magically moved on the map. It divided into seven small clusters distributed in specific
areas of London. Alessandro immediately took a paper and a pencil and noted the position of six
accumulations of salt. Then, snapping his fingers again, he exclaimed:
“Signum Videre!”
The salt moved again but this time it didn't settle anywhere. It moved casually on the map of
London. Alessandro intended to use salt to locate the Holy Grail but couldn't find it. When he
realized that it was useless to continue, he snapped his fingers, disappointed, and said:
“Suspende.”
The salt stopped. Alessandro sat on the bed and read the list of places where the different
Servants were.
At that moment Saber came out of the bathroom with the towel around her body; the girl,
smiling with satisfaction, exclaimed:
“Your bathrooms are not so bad. I feel clean and fragrant.”
“I'm happy for you,” he said concentrated on the map.
“More compliments means more joy. So how about paying some compliments to my good
smell? The oils in the baths of the Urbe look like mud when compared to the substances you use to
bath. I mean, I smell of lavender. Do you realize it? Lavender.”
He ignored her. Saber, while unhappy with her Master's indifference, nevertheless tried to
capture his attention.
“So, Master, did you find our enemies?”
Saber sat next to Alessandro. He, noticing that she was a little too close to him, shifted slightly
and showed her the list, saying:
“Here: it doesn’t seem a difficult task. Most of them are in the City of Westminster or in the City
of London. Almost everyone stays in hotels so this means that they are all foreigners like us.”
“What is the strategy, then?”

32
 “Regent's Park seems like a perfect place to fight. Two Servants are around that park. It will be
complicated to attract only one, surely we will be forced to face two together but in any case—”
“For me it's not a problem!” exclaimed Saber, with a voice full of pride. She added: “I can also
deal with two hundred Servants completely alone!”
“Er... you know there are only seven Servants, right?” he asked.
“What difference does it make?”
Alessandro sighed and bent to close the map. Saber didn’t like to be ignored and so, with a
capricious way of doing, she decided to sit on Alessandro's back. He, annoyed, exclaimed:
“What are you doing? Get off!”
“You treat me badly, Master! You must never ignore me! I’m unique in my kind! I’m perfect,
don't you know? You should know that.”
“You're behaving like a child—”
“Not true” she said standing up.
Saber grabbed Alessandro by the arm and brought him to herself. The boy was turning red like a
pepper but Saber didn't care. She threw him on the bed, stood before him and exclaimed, in a proud
tone:
“Observe me, Master! I'm the most glorious Servant you've ever had! I speak not only of my
unique beauty but also of my identity. I can assure you, Master, that I am not a Servant like any
other. I'm unique! I’m special!”
“Modest girl, huh?” he said sarcastically.
“Modesty? Modesty is typical of prideless optimates and frightened populares. I'm not going to
be modest. I will not be humble. I’m me in my own way. Either you love me for who I am, or you
hate me because you'll never be like me.”
“Still bragging...”
Alessandro didn’t even believe a word of Saber. For him his Servant was just bragging and
nothing more. Alessandro got up but Saber blocked his way and asked him, in a strangely somber
tone:
“Why don't you adore me?”
“Is this a serious question?”
“Just tell me, Master. I know I’m beautiful, I know that I’m probably the best thing that has
happened to you since your birth, yet you treat me like an ordinary person. Why?”
“Because I'm not used to revere people. If you believe that a little bigger than normal breasts are
enough to get my love, then you’re out of the way. Instead of focusing on useless things, why not
try to make yourself useful and help me plan our next move?”
Saber moved to let Alessandro pass.
“Master...”
“Yes?”
“I'm trying to be nice to you, I advise you to appreciate that.”
“Why is it so important, anyway? You’re a Servant, not a person—”
“I am me.”
“What do you—”
At that moment someone knocked on the door. Alessandro went to open and saw Kumahira
Yukiko. Surprised to see her, he took her by the wrist and dragged her into the room. She, with a
mischievous smile, sat on the dining table, put down the umbrella, and exclaimed:
“I like bad men.” She winked.
When Yukiko saw Saber coming, and noticed that she was only covered by the towel, she turned
to the boy and, with that grin, commented:
“Did I interrupt something filthy? What were you playing at? The priest and the sinner?”
“Don't play with me. How did you find me?” he asked gravely and ready to fight.
“I have my ways.”
“Not the right answer. Tell me how did you find me otherwise I will kill you.”

33
 “We both know you won't. I'm here to have a chat you owe me.”
“Owe you? For what?”
“I didn't kill you. I didn't even tell my... friend that I met you. And the most important thing is
that I, even knowing your position, didn't say anything to anyone, and I could have. So you owe me
a chat.”
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“Try to understand my position, I'm trying to build a relationship between the two of us.”
“Why? Why do that?” he asked estranged.
“Because I need your help and you need mine.”
“For what?”
“As an overseer, I have various duties. But I'm also a scholar... in a way. I have a particular
hunger for knowledge, and we are not talking about any knowledge but mysteries hidden from the
eyes of humanity. Do you know what the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil is?”
“More or less.”
“But I bet you know the Holy Grail.”
“It depends on which one you are talking about.”
“What do you mean?” Saber intervened with wide eyes. “I thought we were fighting for a Holy
Grail.”
“Yes. One of many.” He paused briefly, then explained: “The Holy Grail, as it’s known by
most, is a cup that was used by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, there are those who say that the
Grail contains or has contained the blood of Christ. But that's a common myth. Not fake, but
common. Throughout history there have been several men who have tried to replicate the Holy
Grail and its miraculous powers, with the aim of obtaining the secrets of God.”
“How?”
“With the use of disparate magical arts. The result was the creation of several Holy Grails.”
“How many?”
“There are said to be thirteen Holy Grails in Italy, three in France, two in Spain, one in Portugal,
one in Albania, one in Argentina, one in Finland and of course one in Scotland and one in Great
Britain.”
“Twenty-four Holy Grails?!” Saber was shocked.
“And we're just counting the known ones. Coven scholars have come to the conclusion that there
may be at least forty Holy Grails we know nothing about, and these are the most optimistic
estimates. There may also be hundreds or more of Holy Grails scattered around the world.”
“For Jupiter's balls, does this mean I'm probably fighting to get a fake one?”
“Not really,” Yukiko said. “A replica, in its humility, can still have its usefulness. The ability to
fulfill wishes can be like not being a truth, the certain thing is that the Holy Grail is powerful,
whether it is a replica or not. This power comes from its roots, which are the magical rituals used to
build them. We’re not talking about the Magecraft of a magus, we’re talking about True Magic... or
Ancient Magic.”
“So, back to the first question...” Alessandro said “why are you here, exactly?”
“How much do you know about the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil?”
“All the information I have comes from the Coven.”
“That’s not an answer, my dear.”
“I'm tired of this game, Yukiko. You've been here too long, now leave” Alessandro exclaimed
irritably.
“Have you ever heard of Hávamál? ‘Words of Havi’. It’s a collection of ancient Nordic poems
that may have been written by Odin himself, our protagonist.” She paused. “He’s the reason behind
this war, isn't he? And the interesting thing is that in Hávamál there’s a section called Rúnatal,
where Odin tells of the origins of the runes. It’s in the Rúnatal that the myth of the ‘crucified’ Odin
is born. It can't be a coincidence, can it?”
“Are you suggesting a link between Jesus Christ and Odin?”

34
 “I’m saying that the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil may not be a replica—”
“Nonsense. When we talk about ancient Nordic poems, we’re not talking about pre-Roman stuff
but about texts composed from the 8th or 9th century. These texts come many centuries after Christ,
so—”
“Do I have to remind you that before the 11th century there wasn’t even a legend about the Holy
Grail? Perceval, le Conte du Graal, that was the first time that the Holy Grail was spoken of but,
unfortunately, it wasn’t even considered ‘sacred’... in fact it was just the Grail. In fact, you can say
that the Holy Grail of Christ was born in the 12th century.”
“And tell me, please... when does a sacred cup appear in ancient Nordic texts? Never? Strange.”
“You don't have an open mind, dear, I'm sorry for you.” The girl left the table and went back to
the door. She turned and, with a pleased grin, added: “I see that you’re not ready to talk to me yet. If
you ever want to have a chat with me, here's where you can find me.”
She gave Alessandro a note with the hotel address and the room number written on it. Then,
before leaving, she kissed Alessandro on the cheek and left the room.
The first thing Alessandro did was compare Yukiko's note with the information he had collected
about the Masters. When he realized she was staying with the Rider’s Master, he breathed a sigh of
relief.
Saber, confused by Alessandro's reaction, asked:
“Something good?”
“Yeah...” he said smiling.
“What is it?”
“She’s an idiot.” He stopped and showed everything to Saber. “She wanted to set a trap for me
and now I know. Here's what I'll do: I'll go check for myself, don't follow me.”
“Wait—what? Why?”
“I don't want to get noticed.”
A pathetic excuse. Saber had sensed that he didn't want to be with her, it was obvious. She felt
relieved that he had that little bit of empathy that he didn't tell everything to her face, but that lie
still hurt. She accepted his plan, albeit reluctantly, and he left the quarters a few hours later.

Alessandro Serpi had obtained from Kumahira Yukiko a note with information on the hotel and
the number of the room where she was staying. Alessandro had already used a Magecraft to track
down the various Servants and he already knew that there was a Servant in that hotel. However, he
didn't know if it really was Rider or not. He didn't even know which room the Master was in with
their Servant.
These doubts had settled in his head mainly because he didn't trust Yukiko, at all. That girl was a
snake and it was clear that she took pleasure in annoying people.
Alessandro decided to disguise himself, so as not to be recognized, and entered the hotel. He had
ordered Saber not to follow him and he was happy to work alone. He didn't hate Saber, but their
relationship had been way below expectations and he was finding her very annoying and even
childish. The less she revolved around him, the better it was for both of them.
Alessandro had worn a hat, a pair of sunglasses, bright summer clothes and he had even taken a
backpack to give the impression of being a tourist.
Entering the hotel, he took a look around and immediately noticed that most of the people inside
were dressed in elegant suits. The floor was made of a polished marble and in the center of this
there was a symbol that Alessandro had already seen: the symbol was that of a tree with nine circles
around it. He stood still looking at that symbol and had a sensation of déjà vu; he didn't know why.
He had never been to London and above all he had never been to that hotel. As soon as he looked
up he had a brief realization, it was like a flash: he had seen that hotel before. The stairs, the
furniture, the floor, the decorations... even the people. He had seen those things before, he was sure
of it.

35
 A pounding pain hit his forehead and he was forced to sit up. Carelessly, he took off his glasses
and rubbed his eyes hard and took a breath. It took him ten minutes and he was ready to continue
the investigation.
Alessandro concentrated on some paintings that were exhibited in the hotel, some works were
quite famous: a Marzella by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, where the painted girl sat with a thoughtful
look, Erich Heckel's Weisses Haus in Dangast, Wilhelm Morgner's Entering Jerusalem, Max
Beckmann's The Night and finally Caspar David Friedrich's Wanderer above the Sea of Fog.
All these paintings had been placed in a precise order: Kirchner, Heckel, Beckmann, Morgner
and David Friedrich. Alessandro, initially, didn’t pay too much attention to it, but then he was
captured by a feeling, a doubt that had no basis but that screamed at him that there must be a sense
behind that order; maybe a message. Perhaps the choice of paintings was not accidental. Maybe it
wasn't a matter of aesthetics. Maybe there was more.
But Alessandro didn’t have much time and his reading of the works as a whole was limited to
this: a girl, a peaceful place perhaps a home, a tragic event that changed the girl's life, an event that
gave a new purpose to the life of the girl or something along those lines and, finally, the
confrontation with a sublime reality, something vast and irrepressible.
What was that supposed to mean? He didn't know and blamed himself for wasting time on
something that was probably completely useless.
Alessandro went up the elevator and reached the floor where the room indicated by Yukiko was
located. He immediately noticed something strange: there was no one in any of the rooms. No noise
could be heard. Perhaps it was foolish to assume that no one was there, but it was strange for him
not to hear even a sound in a corridor inhabited by several rooms. It seemed that the hotel was
uninhabited, which was rather strange since it was full of people in the lobby.
The boy returned to the elevator and went down to the ground floor. He saw that the men in the
atrium had too many features in common: hair, eyes, face shape, way of walking and more.
They looked like machines commanded by someone. Those people were surreal. He went up the
twenty-two stairs in front of the entrance and, having in front the whole panorama of the atrium, he
noticed how their movements were stereotyped. In front of Alessandro there were people who
repeated some actions, which moved in a way that was apparently random but that was actually
well calculated. The displacements were definite and repeated. No one left the hotel.
Alessandro snapped his fingers, muttering at the same time:
“Inveniet Vitam.”
Alessandro immediately saw that while the bodies of the people outside the hotel lit up a white
color, those of the people inside the hotel emitted no light.
He snapped his fingers again, muttering:
“Suspende.” Then he added, irritated: “Fucking homunculi. This place is full of fucking
homunculi.”

Alessandro returned to his room where he saw Saber standing, waiting anxiously for him. The
girl asked him curiously:
“Have you discovered anything?”
“That place is full of homunculi. It's not a real hotel, it's a damn cover.”
Alessandro went to the bedroom and began to undress; meanwhile Saber asked him again:
“So... does that mean it was a trap?”
“Maybe, but I bet there's more. Yukiko probably wanted me to see that stuff, this is the only
explanation I can give. Especially when I consider that I wasn’t attacked by anyone, which is
strange: they should’ve perceived me at the very least. Yukiko has something in mind, maybe she
wants to scare me... or maybe...”
“Will you call the Coven?”
“No. Not yet. I need to find out more.”

36
 Hiro returned to his hotel room with Rider. Veronica was in the kitchen preparing food. The
girl's gothic clothes had been placed on the bed, Veronica wore more homely clothes with an apron.
When the girl saw Hiro entering the kitchen she asked him:
“Where have you been the whole night?”
“Around,” he replied.
“All night?”
“Yes, why? Can't I do what I want?”
She turned to him with an intrigued grin and asked, again:
“Where have you been the whole night, Hiro?”
“What I do is none of your business, Veronica. I do what I want, when I want. I’m the Master,
right?”
She smiled and stroked his face. Hiro took that gesture as an appreciation for his strong attitude,
he needed to feel appreciated in that moment. Seeing the girl with the apron made his heart beat, he
felt tempted by her and he approached the girl with force to kiss her. Veronica avoided his lips and
broke free with ease. With that smile still on her face, she said:
“My dear Hiro, don't make me repeat myself. Now, make yourself comfortable, I'm preparing
fish.”
“I'm not hungry—”
“Well, are you being temperamental because I didn't give you a kiss?”
“I’m not—”
“I'm pretty good at reading faces, yours tells me everything, my dear Hiro. But don't worry, I
won't force you. Unlike some, I know the meaning of the word ‘no’.”
“Fuck off! Nobody here wants to love me! Fuck!”
Hiro left the kitchen and settled himself on the sofa. He turned on the television to watch some
movies. Hiro didn't feel like talking to Veronica, he needed to release his anger and television
seemed like a good tool. But sometimes the anger would come back to the surface and Hiro tried to
repress it everytime.
Hiro felt bad about being so inexperienced. Lack of experience was making him the victim of all
that criticism. That's why no one respected him: because he wasn't an expert. He wasn't an expert as
a magus or even as a Master, but it bothered him even more not to be an expert on women. He
would have wanted so much to start a romantic relationship with Veronica, from the first day he
met her. But his hopes were burning out like a stifled fire and suddenly he had the feeling of being
back at his home, with his father reminding him of how incompetent he was as a magus.
Rider appare and sat down in an armchair. Hiro ignored Rider, at first, then, remembering that
she came from an ancient age, he said these words:
“In your day it was simpler, wasn't it? I can already imagine: someone like me could’ve taken
any woman without ever fearing rejection. Much simpler.”
She looked at him in disgust and didn't comment. He noticed her gaze and showed a faint smile,
which had an edge of sadness.
“I suck, right? Come on, criticize me again... I'm not waiting for anything else.” He paused to
watch television and added in a low voice: “Nobody cares anyway.”
Hiro turned and saw Veronica leaving the room in her usual white gothic dress. The girl smiled
at Hiro and asked him:
“Do you like me so much that you can't stop looking at me?”
He didn't answer.
“It’s not very kind to ignore me, my dear Hiro.”
“You keep calling me that, but who am I to you? Do you like me or not?”
“I like you enough.” She smiled.
“What? What does it mean? Do you like me or not? I don’t understand. I like you a lot, I would
like to—I mean... you know... that.”

37
 “You’re losing sight of your purpose, my dear Hiro. You have a war to win, you will think about
your erections later.”
“Why don't you take me seriously?!” he shouted. “You treat me like I'm an idiot! But I'm not an
idiot! I have agreed to participate in this war! I agreed to fight to make my wishes come true! I have
proved to be brave!”
She approached Hiro, caressed his face with an almost maternal tenderness and then kissed his
cheek. That was enough to calm him down.
“I trust you, my dear Hiro. I chose you because I know you can win this war. I don't treat you
like an idiot, I know you’re capable of great things... you just have to believe in yourself.”
“Sorry, it's—I have so many things on my mind.”
“What kind of things?”
“I know there are many things you haven't told me, for example.”
“Because there are so many things you don't need to know, my dear Hiro.”
“This doesn't help me at all... I need to have at least someone I can trust. It almost seems to me
that everyone wants my bad!” exclaimed Hiro, nervous.
“What did you expect from a war? Did you expect to be surrounded by friends who love you and
pamper you?”
“No, but I want to know who my friends are and who my enemies are. Right now I can't
understand it and it bothers me—”
“This is because you lack experience and therefore you cannot understand that nothing is well
defined in war. Whoever is your friend can become your enemy, whoever is your enemy can
become your friend. You can't know. Do you know who you have to trust, my dear Hiro? Rider.
Although now it seems to me that you’re not going along very well. Can I know why?”
“We have... divergences.” Hiro then asked Veronica: “Why did you say, the first time we met,
that I was the perfect magus to win the war? I doubt you're not a magus, you should’ve noticed that
I'm not that strong.”
“What makes you believe you're weak?”
“I was... defeated by a certain Murakawa Tetsuya. An asshole magus that compared to me
looked like a goddamn god who came down to Earth to kick my ass. Against him, my Magecraft
was useless.”
“Do you think I lied just to convince you to participate in the Holy Grail War? You really are
paranoid, my dear Hiro.”
“I just want to know if you are manipulating me or not. So?”
Veronica saw the look of Rider, who was approving Hiro's attitude; sighing, the girl walked
away from Hiro and left the hotel room, knowing she would never be able to win that argument.
When Veronica left the room, Rider complimented Hiro:
“You did well, Master, to face that girl.”
“Thank you, Rider. I'm glad to now that I have your approval,” he said smiling.
“You don't have to do it for my approval, but for your own good.”
Rider got up and headed for the bedroom.
“What are you doing?” he asked confused.
“You're right, she's hiding something. We have no reason to trust her, Master, so I think it's time
to find out who Veronica really is. Are you with me?”
Hiro got up from the couch and headed for the front door. He locked it and told Rider:
“Yes.”
“Come on, then.”
Books, alchemical ingredients, magical items... nothing relevant was found in the first thirty
minutes of the search. Each time Hiro raised his head to make sure Veronica didn't come back. He
moved quickly and reviewed every single book at top speed to try to gather some useful clues. Forty
minutes had passed and Hiro was starting to fidget, at any moment Veronica could come back and
he didn't want to get caught... he would’ve preferred to jump out of the window rather than look

38
into the killer eyes of that girl. For each object pulled out, Hiro begged to remember its exact
location so as not to leave any evidence of his snooping.
Fifty minutes had passed. Nothing relevant. At one point Hiro thought he was wrong... then
something snapped inside him. What if Veronica had always been honest with him? What if she
really had a crush on him? What if she was just a person with a slightly eccentric personality? If he
was wrong then what he was doing would hurt the feelings of his possible future wife.
He was ready to give up.
“Wait!” Rider said. “What’s that?”
She opened a suitcase and noticed that it had a double bottom. There were maps inside: highly
detailed maps of London. There were also detailed files on all the Holy Grail War Masters. In those
files there was everything: family, place of birth, illnesses, trauma, significant events, fears, desires
and even the number of Magic Circuits. They were entire biographies. Hiro had his file in hand and
the information Veronica had about him was too accurate; the boy trembled with fear. It wasn’t
normal, there was no doubt about that. There were information that even his family wasn't aware of.
How had she done it?
Only one dossier had a name that was underlined in red: that of Alessandro Serpi.
“What’s all this stuff? What the fuck did she do?”
Hiro stood up and as soon as he turned he saw Veronica's cold gaze.
She was still. She didn't say a word. Her expression wasn't angry but she had a hint of disgust
and her eyes were like those of a snake ready to kill. Hiro felt in a cage with a monster. Veronica, in
silence, approached and held out her hand. Rider, without receiving an order from her Master, took
out her sword and pointed it at the girl. Veronica stopped. She looked Rider straight in her eyes.
Even though she had a Servant in front of her, she wasn’t afraid, in fact she looked at her with
defiant eyes.
Hiro was paralyzed. He dropped the documents. Veronica’s first words startled him:
“Oh, look what you did. You really are a brat, my dear Hiro.” She bent down and picked up the
papers. “A real problem. A real shame.”
“What—who are you? What did you do? Why?”
“You’ve no right to ask” she said in a cold voice. “But if you want I’ll give you my name, my
real name: I'm not Veronica Drakenberg... my name is Yukiko Kumahira.”
“Yukiko...?”
Hiro didn't move, but he wanted to escape. The only thing that fixed his feet on the ground was
that terror he had never felt in his entire life. He had the feeling of being in front of a hungry beast.
“Those documents... why? How?”
She smiled and replied: “I’m not your friend. I'm the first person on Earth you shouldn't have
bothered. I was hoping to carry out a normal collaboration with you, but apparently I will have to
force you to work with me.”
“What are you talking about? You can't do that! I'll never work with you, not until you explain
what's going on!”
“Sluta,” she said.
Hiro froze, but this time it wasn't fear but something magical. His body was completely
paralyzed, his muscles aching as if they had been gripped by a steel grip. Rider, who was behind the
boy, immediately noticed that there was like a mark, a strange symbol, in the neck of her Master.
The symbol was glowing red.
Rider, shocked, asked Yukiko:
“What did you do to my Master?!”
“Nothing special. Let's just say that it’s an original and functional way to tame him. I need Hiro
to fight by my side, whether he wants it or not. I needed a pawn, Hiro was the perfect candidate and
it's a real shame that in the end I’m forced to make him a slave.”
“You’re crazy! I will not allow you to enslave my Master!”

39
 “You may not have fully understood the situation, but don't worry... I'll help you.” Yukiko then
exclaimed: “Slaven Lyda Mig!”
Hiro screamed in pain and then fell to the ground, unconscious. Yukiko sat on a chair and then
told Rider:
“Observe: Hiro, get up.”
Hiro stood up. Rider couldn't believe her eyes. What she was seeing was surreal. Yukiko ordered
the boy to jump, he did; the girl ordered the boy to get on all fours and bark, he did. The girl
enjoyed Hiro's condition and laughed like a child when he followed the orders he was given.
Rider, infuriated, tried to hit Yukiko but the latter, after dodging the blow, warned the Servant:
“You don't want to attack me, I have your Master's life in my hands. It would be enough for me
to order him to take a knife and stab his own throat. Can you imagine it? A Heroic Spirit who loses
the Holy Grail War just because their Master committed suicide. Really embarrassing, don't you
think too? And then, if you think about it, the embarrassment increases when you consider that you
have not had the opportunity to prove your worth in battle.”
“Shut up!”
“I can shut up, but can you bear the brunt of such a humiliating defeat? Tell me, Rider, would
you like to die humiliatingly?”
“I...”
“Tell me, Rider, wouldn't you rather win? Can you imagine it? Would you like to win? If you
hinder me, you will lose any chance of getting the Grail.”
“You just want to use me—”
“Yes. But do you really care? Don't pretend to be a pious soul. Unlike Hiro, I know you... I know
who you are, Matsudaira Takechiyo.”
Rider flared in anger and dashed forward with her blade drawn. The sword stuck to the wall, just
missing Yukiko's head. Yukiko wasn’t terrified, on the contrary she was fascinated by Rider's
reaction and, with an evil grin on her face, she commented:
“As in the past, even now you deny your roots. You never learn from your own experience, huh?
Why question your pride just for the sake of an insignificant magus? Wouldn't it be much better to
take your sword and fight other Heroic Spirits?”
Rider sheathed the blade. She didn't say a word. She looked Hiro in the eyes: he was like a living
dead, he had an empty look. She muttered an apology to her Master and humbly bowed to Yukiko.
The girl left her chair and cuddled Rider's head.
“You made the right choice,” she said in an affectionate voice. “You will not regret this.”

Alessandro wasn't sure how to deal with a magus in a battle. When he was at the Coven he
trained, sometimes, in simulated battles but he had never done anything serious, no real battle with
life at stake. It was a real problem for him. He was aware that he didn’t have much experience and it
bothered him, especially since he intended to end the conflict quickly.
Alessandro abandoned himself on the sofa and, having opened the first book he had at hand, he
began to read, navigating through his thoughts at the same time.
The first thing for him to consider was the power of his opponents. An average magus wouldn’t
have been a difficult opponent for him, but it would have been foolish to consider every single
magus in the Holy Grail War to be average. Against an above average magus, Alessandro was fifty
percent sure he could win; the music changed only in the case of a talented magus. Generally the
most talented magi were also the proudest ones... but also the most dangerous.
The second thing to consider was the time. Alessandro didn’t want long and tiring battles, it was
better to tighten the time and end the clashes immediately. But it was easier said than done.
The third thing to consider was Yukiko. That girl had proven to be the strangest magus
Alessandro ever met. The boy didn't know how to frame her: was she a moron pretending to be
clever, or a genius playing the part of an idiot? It wasn’t easy to figure out, and maybe it wouldn't
have been a problem if she hadn't been a possible threat. Yukiko was a real threat, there was no

40
doubt about it; but how to handle a girl whose magical abilities were a mystery? That girl could
either be a powerful magus or an arrogant amateur.
“The unknowns are dangerous,” he murmured.
He had heard those words in the mouth of his mentor: Marco Lombardo. These were wise words
but they fed Alessandro's concerns; Yukiko was, after all, a gigantic unknown and therefore a
greater danger.
Then the Grail came to his mind.
He closed the book and then he devoted his thoughts to that elephant in the room: what to do
once you have obtained the Holy Grail? What was he supposed to do? Give it to the Coven as if that
object wasn't dangerous? What if it really was the real Holy Grail? Would it have been right to
leave it in the hands of the Coven? Wouldn't it have been better to use its miraculous powers to
make the world a better place?
Alessandro had never cultivated ideas of heroism, but it seemed to him the most ethical choice to
use a miraculous relic like the Holy Grail to help others... especially himself. Was it selfish? Yes.
He knew it. But he couldn’t ignore that only the true Holy Grail could fulfill his desire to have a
peaceful, trouble-free and obstacle-free life.
Saber's hands made the boy jump.
“Ah!” he exclaimed, turning around.
“Sorry, sorry, it wasn't my intention to scare you, Master. Were you thinking about the battle?”
“Yeah...”
“So do you have a plan?”
“Not exactly a plan... I'd say it's more like a way of not dying. Do you have any ideas on how to
win?”
“I have never prepared strategies before a battle” she said with a hint of vanity.
“Are you kidding me?”
“What's the point of making a plan if you don't even know the enemy's future actions? If you can
predict the future, then please: go ahead and make whatever plans you want. A strategy must never
be prepared before the battle but during the battle.”
“Don't you think it's absurd?”
“On the contrary, it’s logical. A strategy must be flexible and must evolve as the battle unfolds.
Preparing a strategy before a battle would be like imposing grammar rules on a text that doesn’t yet
exist.”
“For me it is stupid and also extremely risky.”
“It is. Battles are like the tabulae lusoriae, you know? In both, Fortuna has the last word. Do you
want my advice? Don't worry too much about the battle. When the time comes, you will know how
to act.”
Saber sat down on the sofa and Alessandro sat next to her. The girl got comfortable and said to
him:
“In my day Fortuna had a lot of names and among them was: Atrox Fortuna.”
“Bad luck, right?” he asked curiously.
“No, that would be Fortuna Mala. By the word ‘atrox’ I mean ‘atrocious’ or ‘furious’. Fortuna is
not just the goddess of luck, but also of fate. Atrox Fortuna is fate in its most complete cruelty and
impartiality.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“The Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil appears to be the realm of Atrox Fortuna, obviously mine is
just a feeling, nothing special... but I can't get it out of my head.” She paused briefly. “Be careful,
Master, for there is nothing more merciless than fate.”
“I still don't understand why you're telling me this.”
“That girl... Yukiko, I had a weird feeling when I first saw her. It wasn’t fear and not even worry
but... I felt like I had seen her before. Don't ask me where, when or how, because I don't know... but
I know there’s something that binds you two.” Saber's gaze deepened. “Be careful, Master, I have

41
the impression that the fate that binds you is the worst of all. If you really care about living, stay
away from that girl.”
She was genuinely worried about him, he understood it by looking into her eyes but he couldn't
give up the chance to know Yukiko.
“I'll be careful... but you can't ask me to stay away from her. The less we know about her, the
worse it will be for us.”
“I see...”
She wasn't happy with that answer but didn't insist. She left the sofa and walked to the bedroom.
“Saber,” Alessandro exclaimed going after her. “I...”
“Something wrong?”
“No... it’s just... I know I've been mean to you and I'm sorry. I still can't accept my position, I'm
still afraid of what will happen but... know that I will do whatever it takes to make us win.”
She said nothing and exhibited an approving smile that nevertheless had some edge of
dissatisfaction. Alessandro, moved by slight feelings of guilt, asked her:
“Do you have a wish?”
“For the Grail?”
He nodded.
“Well... I never really thought about it. It's not that I don't have desires, it's that I don't know
which one to choose.”
“Tell me one.”
“I'd like to talk to my son and fix our relationship. I know I've been a bad person... but I never
hated my son and I never hurt him, yet he betrayed me. Why? Why did he do such a thing? Wasn't
the love I gave him enough? Were the political offices I granted him not the right ones? Maybe I
wasn't there enough during his growth? I don't know and I would like to know.”
Alessandro said nothing. Saber blushed thinking she was too exposed and stammered:
“Obviously I don't— I'd love to see my son again but— you know...”
“You will” he said. “I promise you will see him again. I will make that happen. Together we will
win the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil and make our wishes come true.”
Saber was for a moment astonished by Alessandro's determination; A grateful smile appeared on
her face and she said:
“You will be my legionnaire, Master—no, not ‘Master’... ‘Comrade’ it’s better. From now on
you will be my Comrade.”

In the dark streets of London, in a narrow city alley, Sergei Rybakov was sitting on the asphalt
he was writing silently in his notebook. His mind floated freely among the dark images of his past,
each speaking in lines of ink. At that moment his Servant appeared and told him:
“This city will be wiped out by the Holy Grail War.”
“What do you deduce it from?” asked Sergei annoyed for being disturbed.
“I perceive very strong Servants and even magi with great magical energy. I don't know about
you, but it seems like a pretty dangerous combination to me.”
“If you say so...”
The Servant noticed Rybakov's lack of attention and asked in an annoyed tone:
“Could you tell me what's more interesting than the war we're fighting?”
“A poem” he answered showing the notebook.
“I didn't know you were a poet.”
“Da.3”
The Servant approached with his open hand to take the notebook but Sergei jumped up and
exclaimed:
“Don't touch my stuff.”

3
In Cyrillic it should be written ‘да’.

42
 “I was curious to read it.”
“You cannot read a work that’s not finished.”
“Or you’re just afraid of being a bad poet, Master.”
Sergei put his notebook in the inside pocket of his brown leather jacket and, with a brusque
manner, said:
“You’re a Servant, not a literary critic.”
The man headed for the Grand Entrance of Hyde Park where, to his surprise, he met six men
dressed in black suits carrying a large wooden crate in the park. The men hadn't noticed him,
thankfully. Sergei's Servant came up behind him and whispered:
“I feel magical energy escaping from that crate. Nothing good.”
“What do you think it is?”
“It could be a great ceremonial object... maybe a relic. Christian artifacts tend to release large
amounts of magical energy.”
“Have we found the Grail?”
“I don’t think so. I think it’s more plausible to infer that the content of that crate is a relic of a
different kind.”
“I don’t like how things are going. I thought I only had to fight six Masters, but now things get
complicated. Blyad'.4”
“Don't get out of focus, Master, it might not be as dangerous as we think” the Servant said trying
to reassure Sergei, even if he didn't believe the words he was saying.
“Let's see what they are doing...”
Sergei Rybakov decided to sneak into the park to see what was in that crate. He followed the
men in black, being careful not to make any noise. He saw those men stop on the banks of the
Serpentine Road; the men opened the crate and pulled out four shovels and began digging a hole.
One of the men, meanwhile, took out a gold chest which had some special decorations that
reminded the branches of a tree. The chest was buried under the ground. The men covered the
tracks well, making sure to compact the soil perfectly.
Sergei saw those people use a card through which they cast a spell that hid the evidence of their
work. The men closed the crate, after having put away the shovels, and left.
“Did you recognize the relic?” Sergei asked.
“No. I've seen several magical artifacts in my life, but I've never seen anything like it. It’s
certainly not Christian.” He paused to reflect. “Now that I think about it... it might be something
pagan. Perhaps it’s a very ancient relic... as I said, it radiates magical energy—”
“But then why bury it here? If it's really that powerful, why hide it? Why not use it? I don’t
understand...”
Sergei decided to leave.
“Why didn't you steal that relic?” the Servant asked, once the two had left the park.
“Because I don't care. I'm not going to make the wrong people angry. I have a war to fight, I
can't make other enemies” he replied.
“Don't you think it's a hasty decision? Think about it, if it were something dangerous it could
harm us too if it turned out to be harmless you would have a relic with a monetary value. In both
cases, you gain something.”
“The fewer enemies I have, the better off I am” he replied curtly.
“As you wish, the responsibility is yours, Master.”
“I know, I don't need to hear it from you.”
At that moment both Sergei and his Servant saw, in the distance, Lancer jumping from one roof
to another. Sergei, initially astonished to see that Lancer was still alive, asked his Servant:
“What should we do, in your opinion?”

4
In Cyrillic it should be written ‘Блядь’.

43
 “Lancer is a pretty dangerous foe, but if there's another Servant fighting, I'll have an advantage.”
“So be it! Poydem na voynu!5”

CHAPTER 6

Regent's Park.
Alessandro Serpi was leaning against a column of a pavilion that overlooked the park's lake. He
waited, with his arms crossed and anxiety in his heart, for the arrival of his enemies. The boy was
constantly looking around fearing a surprise attack.
On that cool night with a clear sky, the noises of the evening were slowly fading away and the
sounds of the night awakened in their place. The discos were not far away and their music,
sometimes crossed by the noise of the cars, could be heard in the background. Alessandro noticed
that Saber was fascinated by that pounding rhythm that seemed to come from the sky.
“The music of today,” he said.
“A strange music... it's something barbaric, yet I like it. Makes me want to dance. Does this
music have this effect on you too?”
“No” he answered shaking his head. “I've never been a nightclub type. But...” He said nothing.
“But?”
“It's nothing important, seriously—”
“I want to know, tell me,” she said smiling.
“Well, if you really want to know... in the past I hated people who love nightclubs, seriously, I
thought they were weird and stupid people. I thought only an idiot could find something beautiful in
that junk music. I can't explain where this hatred came from, I just know that I felt superior to those
people and I also felt special and different from the masses. Maybe it was the age or maybe I was
just having a bad time, I don't know.” Alessandro stopped to listen to that pounding music. Then he
resumed: “But now it's not like that anymore, now I envy them. Do you know why?”
Saber shook her head. He explained:
“Because they can enjoy the life they have chosen to live, I can't. The life I live was chosen for
me. Those people who dance and have fun can go home and say they have made a choice; I can’t do
that. I didn't choose to join the Coven and I didn't choose to participate in this war. In the end: they
are happy and I’m unhappy. That’s all.”
“I see...”
Saber felt embittered, especially because she was aware that she was a part of that unhappiness
Alessandro felt, but she tried to console him:
“From my personal experience, I believe it’s important to build your own happiness without
fearing what others will say. I know what it means to be forced into unhappiness, but you cannot
accept living a miserable life. I mean, you only have one life, right? Why waste it? Why waste it
just to satisfy people who don't even know you?” She approached the boy and went on: “I've always
been skeptical about religion, do you know why? Because I don't believe in destiny. I’m the only
one who decides where my life will go and when it will end. I am in control, not the gods. Only I
know the ways to achieve my happiness and if I have to make sacrifices to achieve it, so be it! If
you want to be happy, don't be afraid to take risks. Because if you don't worry about your
happiness, who will? The state? The religion? The friends? The enemies? Who? No one.”
“So do you think I may have that choice?”
“Trust me, Comrade, we all have a chance to be happy.”
“I wish it were that simple...”
Alessandro couldn’t fully trust Saber's words. The girl would’ve liked more time to try to
convince him, but the arrival of Murakawa Tetsuya broke that hope. When Saber saw the man
5
In Cyrillic it should be written ‘пойдем на войну’.

44
approaching with his hands in his pockets, she drew her sword and exclaimed with a pleased
expression:
“So my first enemy has arrived! Where’s your Servant?”
“She will be here soon, don't worry. But where’s your Master, little girl?”
“Did you just call me ‘little girl’? Ah! Even that self-centered and self-righteous Cato would
never have dared to call me that. You've got balls, little man, but you have to respect people like
me, because I'm a Saber-class Servant here, but in my day I led an entire state.”
“Saber class, huh? Maybe you'll be a decent match for my Lancer. But where’s your Master?”
“Here,” Alessandro replied.
Tetsuya saw this young boy in a black suit that resembled that of a priest, he had a clerical collar
and he wore a red stole with gold decorations. The attitude of this young man wasn’t sure and
Tetsuya immediately realized that he was face to face with someone who had never fought before.
There was a slight smile on the man's face which was followed by a restrained laugh.
Alessandro looked at Saber and the girl shook her head and with her eyes said ‘don't be afraid’;
he turned his gaze to Tetsuya and, when he noticed the man's extremely arrogant attitude, he
realized that he could play cunning to make him lose concentration.
“I'm sick of meeting brats left and right,” Tetsuya exclaimed. “I thought it was a Holy Grail War
not a Holy Diaper Quarrel.”
Alessandro didn’t say a word, he was attentive to the ways of his opponent. It was clear as
sunshine that Tetsuya was underestimating him, it was a golden opportunity.
At that moment Lancer arrived. Tetsuya, seeing his Servant, exclaimed with a sadistic smile:
“Good, now that my Servant has come let the dances begin. I'll crush you, you brat!”
Tetsuya ran towards Alessandro with clenched fists, the man was determined to end the battle in
an instant. The boy didn't move even a little. He snapped his fingers and said:
“Adversarium Ferio.6”
An invisible force overwhelmed Tetsuya and sent him flying to the ground. The shocked man
didn’t understand what had happened but didn’t panic; he got up and grumbled, annoyed:
“You've had luck, brat.”
Murakawa Tetsuya repeated the same attack as before, this time with more speed, but the result
was the same: the boy snapped his fingers and said again the words:
“Adversarium Ferio.”
The man was overturned again. When he stood up again, he shouted:
“What kind of Magecraft is that?! Are you playing tough with me, asshole? I'll smash that
dickhead of yours like nothing!”
“Okay, fine,” Alessandro said indifferently.
“Of course that's fine, asshole!”
Tetsuya grabbed a tree and, with superhuman strength, uprooted it and threw it at Alessandro.
The boy snapped his fingers and said:
“Defendere.”
The tree collided with a sort of invisible shield that appeared before Alessandro Serpi. The tree
fell to the ground making a big thud, the boy was uncut. Tetsuya was shocked, he couldn’t believe
his rival was so strong.
The boy immediately realized the difference in power that existed between him and his
opponent; the insecurity dissipated. Alessandro cast a cold glance at the man and said:
“Reinforcement Magecraft. A Magecraft that enhances physical abilities. I can't believe I was
afraid of facing such a weak enemy.”
“What?!”

6
In the original and incorrect version it was ‘dis’ and I can't explain that error. Was I an idiot? Yes. I used a word
thinking it had a completely different meaning. My mistake, sorry.

45
 “You're very good at shit talk, but you can't do shit. In front of a Coven magus you’re just a
rookie who uses the most vulgar form of Magecraft, I have been training for years and for what? To
face a guy who throws trees? What a waste... your presence insults me.”
“How... dare you?! Son of a bitch!” screamed Tetsuya.
“So far you haven't been able to hit me once, what are you hoping to get screaming like crazy? If
you studied a strategy you would have more chances.”
“Fuck you. Lancer! Attack that Saber! Kill her!”
Lancer obeyed and clashed with Saber, while the two Masters resumed their fight.
As the two Servants' weapons collided, Lancer's superiority was evident. The woman was faster
than Saber and her attacks were less clumsy; Saber had to retreat to a defensive approach to avoid
getting hurt. Lancer, with a proud tone, exclaimed:
“You're as dumb as a Rider, good for me.”
Lancer breached Saber's defense and delivered a kick that knocked the opponent down. Lancer
exhibited a victorious expression, she was sure she would triumph easily.
Saber stood up and, after cleaning her cloak, showed a victorious grin. Lancer didn’t understand
her rival's reaction and asked her, confused:
“Why do you have that smile? Do you find your impending defeat funny?”
“Fate played a bad joke on you, Amazon... or should I say Nurse of Penthesilea?”
Lancer then realized that Saber had guessed her true identity. She didn't know how, she didn't
know why, but she didn't waste time chatting. Lancer gripped her weapon and launched a firm
attack; she missed the mark. Saber had managed to dodge the blow. She had just outclassed Lancer
in speed. The slash of the sword shattered Lancer's helmet, exposing the warrior's long black hair.
Lancer gained considerable distance from Saber but didn’t attempt to attack again; she was worried.
Saber, who initially seemed more passive, had managed to turn the tide of battle in an instant.
Saber went on the attack. Lancer managed to parry four attacks in a row; as the fifth arrived, she
leapt sideways and attempted to counterattack. Saber, as if she had foreseen that move, rolled to the
ground and, as she stood up, slashed; Lancer parried and lunged. Saber deviated the spear with the
blade and quickly punched Lancer's face.
Lancer turned away from Saber again.
“I have to congratulate you, Saber, I thought you were a lost cause... but apparently I have to
change my mind. But don't think for a moment that you’re faster than me, you just caught me off
guard... now things will be different.”
Lancer got into position for a run. As soon as the woman left, the image of her disappeared
completely, leaving behind a thick cloud of dust. Lancer reappeared behind Saber. The attack went
off. Saber was able to move her head quickly and, when she saw the tip, she grabbed the spear's
staff and lunged. Lancer dodged the blow and countered with a kick. Saber let go of the spear to
block the leg. Lancer leapt, performed an aerial rotation, and hit Saber with a kick. Saber fell, stood
up, and, as soon as Lancer touched the ground, the two weapons collided.
“You’re stubborn, Saber.”
“You too, scortum.”
The two Servants moved away from each other.
“I never imagined I would sweat so hard just to face someone like you” Saber said. “Not to be
offensive, but you're not the most important Amazon there is. I’ve heard of warriors stronger than
you, like Penthesilea and Hippolyta. Compared to these two queens, you’re the last wheel of the
chariot.”
“Your mouth is full of poison, Saber, but you can never defeat me with words. I don't know who
you are, but I know that only a coward would dare to insult a warrior in this way.”
“It irritates you, doesn't it? It bothers you to know that I know your identity while you don't
know anything about me, am I right?” A malevolent smile had painted on Saber's face.
“I just want to know how you figured out my identity.”

46
 “It’s my skill: Historian and Warlord. I can know the identity of any Heroic Spirit of European,
Egyptian or Middle Eastern origins without even seeing their Noble Phantasm... plus I have a
natural advantage against them, I can anticipate their moves.”
“Now I understand...” Lancer spoke those words with inexplicable confidence.
“Aren't you going to give up? It would be smarter to abandon the battle than to continue.”
“As I suspected, you don't have the heart of a warrior. You cannot understand the satisfaction
I’m feeling in knowing that you’re a formidable opponent. You’re a real challenge and for a Heroic
Spirit there’s nothing better.”
Lancer got into position, her spear began to shine. Saber braced herself for the worst. Lancer,
noticing that her opponent was losing confidence, exclaimed:
“Get ready, Saber, because you won't be able to avoid this attack.”
Lancer jumped. Five astral spears appeared around Saber, these were emitting a golden light.
Saber moved to avoid being hit, but the spears were glued to her; the girl realized she was in a lot of
trouble. Saber tried to hit the spears but the blade couldn't touch them. Lancer screamed at that
moment:
My Condemnation of Crotone
“My name is Cleta and this is my Noble Phantasm: Katadíki tou Krótona !”
Lancer threw the spear with impressive power and the impact generated a burst of light that
shook the ground. The two Masters who saw the Noble Phantasm were equally shocked. Tetsuya
was sure his Servant had managed to kill Saber. Lancer landed and the spear reappeared in her
hand.
As the smokescreen cleared, Saber's wounded, bleeding body appeared; the girl was still
breathing and was still standing, even though she was panting painfully. Lancer couldn't believe her
eyes.
“How... the hell did you survive? You have been hit in full and are still... alive. How?!”
“Did you really think... a single Noble Phantasm would be enough to kill a Heroic Spirit of my
caliber, Lancer? You are a third-rate Lancer, you will never be at my level...” she smiled.
“Stop that!”
Saber then turned to Alessandro, who was shocked to see her still standing: “Sorry, Comrade,
but I'm going to need some mana to get myself back on track.”
Saber, being a Servant, used Alessandro Serpi's mana to regenerate her wounds and repair her
armor; within seconds she was ready to fight.
“So, are you ready for round two, Lancer?”
“To hell with it! I won't let you defeat me, Saber!”
Lancer prepared to attack but an arrow was shot at her; the warrior deflected the attack quickly
and, when she saw Archer coming, she exclaimed furiously:
“I see that you’re really obsessed with me.”
Archer winked at her and, in a princely manner, introduced himself to Saber:
“A pleasure to meet you, my lady, I’m Archer and the beautiful princess you see by my side is
my Master.”
“A man from Britannia, I’m honored to face you.”
“I'm English, yes, but I'm surprised you guessed it.” He remained silent to observe his opponent.
“We’re certainly not contemporary... from what you called my homeland, I deduce that you’re
Roman. Maybe a legionnaire? An emperor? I’m anxious to find out, indeed.”
Saber, looking at Lancer and Archer, let out a laugh that left both rival Servants stunned.
“No, no, sorry it's just that... Fortuna decided to make things easy for me. The first two Servants
I meet are both at a disadvantage against me. If we go on like this, I'll get the Grail on the
weekend.”
“You seem pretty sure of yourself, Saber...” Archer said.
“Oh, you have no idea how sure I am of winning this fight. In fact, I think I'll stop playing... it's
time to get serious.”

47
 Harumi noticed Saber's determined gaze and sensed a strength well above average, so she turned
to her Servant and begged him to pay attention. He reassured her.
Harumi headed to the other two Masters, leaving the battle between the Servants behind. The girl
saw the battle between Murakawa Tetsuya and Alessandro Serpi; the first thing she noticed was the
bad situation the man was in and it shocked her a lot. That boy dressed as a priest was a better
magus than Tetsuya and was defeating him. In those five minutes of confrontation, Alessandro
managed to knock out Tetsuya; the boy turned to Harumi.
The girl froze with fear. She could clearly perceive the magical energy that he emanated from his
body, it was something abnormal. She knew she was no match for him and, seeing how Tetsuya had
been defeated, she was unwilling to face him.
Alessandro, when he saw Harumi, didn’t have a particular reaction, he was aware that he would
face a magus just above the average. The boy, while noticing her insecurity, also noticed that
courage that shone in her eyes; it wasn't the arrogance exhibited by Tetsuya, it was a determination
that stunned him.
“Are you sure you want to fight?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“You can give up, you know? I won't hurt you. You can terminate the contract with the Servant
and leave.”
“I know, but I won't.”
“As you wish. Want to make the first move or are you waiting for an official invitation?”
Harumi created a magic circle in front of her, on which a tiger was drawn, she jumped into it and
then, clenching her fist, ran towards Alessandro. The boy snapped his fingers and said:
“Adversarium Ferio.”
The girl was pushed back and thrown against a tree. Alessandro, disappointed by the attack,
sighed and commented:
“I never expected to meet a magus practicing the arts of zisurrû. Magic circles. Magecraft of
Sumerian origin. Who taught you that?”
“I’m self-taught.”
“Oh, a self-taught magus is something rare. You should be proud of yourself.”
Harumi stood up and focused, once again, on the immense amount of magical energy that was
being released by Alessandro Serpi. She was aware that mana was stored in Magic Circuits and she
had a vague idea of how they could develop and strengthen. She knew that an average magus had
fifty Magic Circuits and she was sure Alessandro couldn't have so few.
Even before intervening she had seen, together with Archer, the battle between Saber and Lancer
and was surprised by the amount of magical energy that was given by Alessandro to his Servant.
“Why?” she asked. “Why are you fighting? You’re definitely a very powerful magus, why do
you want the Holy Grail? Isn't the power you have enough?”
“Do you think I'm here for the power? No, you're wrong. In case you haven't figured it out, I
work for the Coven.”
“Coven? So the Catholic Church?”
“None of your business.”
“What do you want to do with the Holy Grail?”
“It's none of your business” repeated Alessandro.
“Well... if you think you scare me just because you’re a powerful magus, you’re wrong. I’ll
continue to fight—”
“You’re not scared because you haven’t quantified our difference in power, you don’t know the
numbers. At the Coven we’re trained to calculate the number of Magic Circuits through the
perception of mana. For example I can tell you that Murakawa Tetsuya has seventy-two Magic
Circuits and that you have fifty-six.”
“What about you?” she asked worriedly.

48
 “I belong to an ancient family of magi, unfortunately for you, and the number of my Magic
Circuits is two hundred and fifty-five.”
She gasped, paralyzed, as if she had just realized the danger she was in. A magus with so many
Magic Circuits was something unimaginable to her, she had never seen one and now she had one in
front of her... and was her enemy.
Alessandro, seeing Harumi's reaction, thought he had managed to frighten her and mentally
prayed that she would stop fighting.
The fear disappeared from Harumi's eyes and in its place that courage emerged again. The girl
looked him straight in his eyes and, clenching her fists, she stated:
“Maybe you’re stronger, but my will is of steel and you will not break it so easily. I’ll win this
war... whatever it takes.”
He heaved a sigh of irritation and murmured: “You're an idiot.”
The duel resumed.

While Archer, Lancer and Saber were fighting each other, Alessandro and Harumi were engaged
in a duel where the advantage continued to be in the boy's hands.
Harumi, no matter how hard she tried, was unable to hold a candle to Alessandro. He was calm
on the outside, but on the inside he was agitated because he hoped not to seriously hurt the girl;
even with Murakawa Tetsuya he was holding back. Alessandro had been forced to fight a war, but
he had no intention of killing people. When he realized that Harumi wasn’t going to give up easily,
he decided to scare her by using slightly more complex Magecraft. He approached the Regent's
Park lake and, snapping his fingers, said:
“Anguis Aquae.”
The water of the lake began to swirl and a serpentine figure of at least three meters, completely
made of water, emerged. This water serpent approached Alessandro and the boy put a hand on its
head; the girl was terrified of that monster and she couldn't believe that a magus could create such a
thing.
“Harmonic Magecraft,” Alessandro said. “A branch of the Sound Magecraft, which is based on
the use of the voice and melody to carry out a Mystery. You will surely have understood that my
finger snapping is not scenic but necessary to use Magecraft. It’s not easy to produce the right
sound at the right time, combining all this with the right concentration is... well, very complicated.
It took me years of study to reach this level.” He stopped and then added gravely: “Do you
understand what situation you are in? You’ll never be able to face me, you’ll never be on my level.
If you give up you will have your life saved, I promise you.”
The girl backed away. Alessandro thought he had managed to convince her and let his guard
down. He was about to thank her and then he noticed that a red magic circle had appeared under the
girl's feet, inside this was the representation of a monkey; Harumi was enveloped in a scarlet energy
that had a nebular shape. Alessandro, seeing her running towards him, moved his hand and ordered
the beast made of water to strike.
The snake spat a jet of water from its mouth; the girl dodged it with impressive ease. The beast
then tried to attack Harumi with its jaws, but the girl made a jump worthy of an acrobat and avoided
that attack too. When the girl was within walking distance of Alessandro, the latter tried to use a
defensive Magecraft... but it was too late. Alessandro was hit in the face by a kick. He fell to the
ground. That was the first blow he had suffered since the battle began.
He was on the ground, at Harumi's feet, and regretfully accepted that he would never be able to
force the girl to retreat without being more aggressive.
Harumi had no intention of hitting Alessandro while he was still on the ground. The girl had
noticed that up until that moment he was trying not to kill her, to her it seemed right to return that
courtesy of his and she waited for him to get back on his feet.
Alessandro got up and distanced himself from Harumi. Both were ready to restart their battle, but
neither of them noticed Murakawa Tetsuya.

49
 The man attacked Harumi from behind; with a kick he made her collide with Alessandro and
they both fell to the ground. The man then struck such a powerful blow that he destroyed that
immense snake made of water and, in an arrogant tone, exclaimed:
“Fucking children, I'll send you back to your mother's womb with a kick in the ass.”
Alessandro stood up and held out his hand to the girl. She hesitantly accepted the help.
“We got a fucking gentleman, huh?” Tetsuya said.
“I congratulate you for hitting me once.”
“Shit, I'll have fun killing you.”
Tetsuya dashed forward at high speed but at that moment he saw a black sand mastiff coming to
attack him. He immediately turned and hit it with a kick.
Alessandro turned and saw Sergei Rybakov coming; the man said:
“Sorry, I didn't want to be left out of this battle.”
“And who are you?” Alessandro asked, puzzled.
“My name is Sergei. Sergei Rybakov. I see you're busy fighting with Murakawa.”
“You’re perceptive” Tetsuya said in a sarcastic tone.
The black mastiff tried again to attack Tetsuya but the latter hit it with a punch so strong that
made it return a heap of black sand.
“Fucking Russian, I'll rip your heart out and stick it up your ass” Tetsuya exclaimed
aggressively.

Meanwhile Saber, Lancer and Archer were fighting each other. No one had gained a real
advantage over the other but at that moment Sergei's Servant also intervened; Saber and Lancer
were able to avoid the black smoke knives that the Servant had thrown; then Saber leaped and tried
to decapitate the enemy, but without success. The girl distanced herself and exclaimed, shocked:
“I went through you! Bastard, you're like a ghost!”
“Exactly,” he exclaimed throwing three more knives.
Saber avoided them with a leap backwards, she landed on a tree branch; near her came Archer
who said:
“That Servant is a pain in the ass, I tell you right away.”
“Looks like an Assassin,” Saber observed.
“I think so too. Do you know his identity?”
Saber looked at Assassin in an attempt to guess his name, but her ability had no effect; he was a
living unknown to her.
“So?” Archer asked.
“I can’t help,” she replied with a slight regret. “Why can't we hit him? What kind of skill does he
have? Maybe it's his Noble Phantasm?”
“I have no idea, honey,” Archer answered by winking at her.
“I propose a truce between us for now, at least until we have defeated that Servant.”
“Seems acceptable, honey. What do you want me to do?”
“You have to cover me.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“No.”
Saber came down from the tree and, with the drawn sword, went to Lancer, running, and
exclaimed:
“Hey, Lancer! How about a triumvirate with me and Archer?”
“A what?” she asked confused.
“Nevermind, just help me hit Assassin.”
Assassin threw several knives, Saber and Lancer teamed up to defend against all attacks while
Archer fired several arrows but Assassin didn’t move. Lancer attacked from the left, Saber from the
right. Assassin dodged the blows and both Servants exchanged confused glances. Assassin was

50
moving away and Saber stopped Lancer from pursuing him; the girl had just had a brilliant
intuition.
Saber told Archer to go around to attack Assassin from behind. After a few minutes the two
women went on the attack. Assassin, sure he had the advantage, threw more knives but in that
moment he saw an arrow pass through his body. He saw Archer in a tree behind him. Assassin
realized too late that the man was just a distraction and, when the two women attacked in unison, he
was unable to avoid the attack and was wounded.
Saber, with a victorious grimace, muttered to herself: “I knew it, five points for me.”
Assassin, when he saw his own blood, was shocked, he never expected to be outsmarted.
“So that's how your skill works, Assassin. Only one object at a time can pass through,
interesting. I guess the fact that you suffered a wound weakens you a little” Saber said with a smile.
“May you be cursed, Saber! How did you guess my power?”
“I’ve a weird thing called ‘brain’.”
Assassin was ready to retreat but at that moment a sort of magic barrier was generated around
Regent's Park. It was a magical area created by Caster who came to the battlefield with the open
book and goose feather in his hand. There were now five Servants in Regent's Park: Archer,
Assassin, Saber, Lancer, and finally Caster.
Archer fired an arrow to hit Caster but a humanoid creature made of ink protected the Servant.
“For Juno's ass, I want that!” Saber exclaimed in a childish way.
“I agree on the ass, not so much on those monstrosities” Archer commented.
“What did you say, Archer?” asked Caster. “Did you call my children ‘monstrosities’? You’re
truly an inferior and ignorant creature. Your lowest mind cannot comprehend the beauty of my
children.”
“I wish I had an army of ink creatures... but calling them ‘children’ is too much for me” Saber
said. “But I shouldn't be surprised that a sapiens has some quirks. Knowledge sometimes drives us
crazy.”
“I call them children not because I’m corrupted by madness but rather because they were created
by my hand. Exactly! They’re part of the words of my prophecies, they’re the children of my hand,
my mind and the Lord. But I cannot ask a heretic to believe in the miracle of the Lord and I will not
complain about the lack of intellect that I see. I will just destroy you and give the Holy Grail to my
Master.”

Tetsuya Murakawa was destroying, one by one, several creatures made of sand that had been
evoked by Sergei Rybakov.
At that moment Clovis Wolff arrived and fired two magic blue bullets, from his hand, at Sergei.
Tetsuya, noting that the Russian magus had been knocked out by that attack, decided to start the
attack on Clovis without hesitation, but the latter fired four more magic bullets. Tetsuya avoided
them and, with impressive agility, immediately reached Clovis and punched him in the face; Clovis
didn’t fall to the ground, in fact, he counterattacked with a magic bullet that threw Tetsuya into the
lake.
Clovis then targeted Harumi and fired a magical bullet the size of a basketball from the palm of
his hand. The girl dodged the blow but wasn’t quick enough in the counterattack and was wounded
in the arm by a second magic bullet.
“Das Spiel ist aus,” Clovis said preparing to take out Harumi.
The man was distracted by the arrival of Alessandro Serpi. When the two came face to face there
was a moment of cold silence. Alessandro recognized Clovis's red cloak worn over the black suit;
Clovis recognized the priest's robe and stole. The man raised his hand and exclaimed:
“Gottes Überbleibsel.”
A vermilion-colored magic sphere, slightly larger than a hand, was shot at Alessandro Serpi.
“Defendere.”

51
 The magic barrier protected the boy from Clovis' Magecraft. The two exchanged an icy glance,
no one said a word. Clovis smiled, Alessandro answered him with a pleased grin.
“Coven,” Clovis said.
“Rote Mäntel,” Alessandro said.
“It seems hard to believe that the Coven voluntarily decided to send a little boy to fight a war.”
“I was going to say the same thing about you” he replied with two eyes overflowing with pity.
“As soon as you tried to hurt me with that Magecraft, I realized this battle won't last long.”
“I didn’t think that a faithful of the Holy Church could sin of pride.”
“As far as I can see, you Germans continue to confuse the Coven with the Holy Church. But I
don't work for the Pope, I work for the Grand Master.”
“Pope or Grand Master, it doesn't matter to me. Neither will see you coming back.”
Clovis fired two magic bullets from his hand. Alessandro's magic barrier broke and the boy was
wounded in the arm. The man, seeing the opportunity, prepared another attack; Alessandro wasted
no time and attacked Clovis:
“Adversarium Ferio.”
Clovis was pushed to the ground but got up immediately and, after firing three more magic
bullets, jumped and hid behind a tree. Alessandro had managed to dodge Clovis’ attack and
exclaimed, snapping his fingers:
“Acies Gladii.”
Three magical swords, blue and transparent, appeared before Alessandro. The swords left in
unison and cut the tree behind which Clovis was hiding. The man managed to survive and prepared
to fight back.
At that moment Murakawa Tetsuya intervened, he punched Clovis and then targeted Alessandro.
When the man's attack proved unsuccessful, he used his Command Seal to empower Lancer; his
hope was to end the battle immediately.
“Lancer, destroy our enemies!”
The Command Seals were the contract between the Master and the Servant. Each Master had a
Command Seal divided into three parts which corresponded to three Command Spell. If all three
parts of the Command Seal were used, the contract was canceled and the Servant disappeared.
Orders could be given, through these seals, that the Servants couldn’t refuse. But orders were only
one thing. Tetsuya used a Command Spell to greatly enhance Lancer's abilities. The Servant stood
up and, with a combative smile, exclaimed:
“Thank you, Master, I will make good use of this strength!”
Lancer rushed at full speed against Saber, who had not expected an attack from behind; Saber
was overwhelmed by Lancer's attack.
Archer, shocked, shot several arrows at Lancer but she parried them and then she jumped
towards her enemy and kicked him; then it was Caster's turn who, seeing Lancer coming,
summoned about twenty beings made of ink. Lancer destroyed all those creatures easily and
quickly, it was finally time to kill Caster.
But at that moment a Noble Phantasm was launched.
It looked like a slash of sunlight that shattered Caster's barrier. The blow came from outside the
magic area but nobody had any idea what kind of attack it was. The power of that Noble Phantasm
was so impressive that all the Servants abandoned the battle to save their respective Masters.
That powerful attack opened a gigantic chasm similar to Ibaraki's, but this time it was right in the
center of Regent's Park.

‘It shouldn't have happened’, this was Alessandro Serpi's first thought when he entered his hotel
room. The Regent's Park incident hadn’t been disguised and now there was a giant chasm in
London. It was a serious problem. Ordinary people were not supposed to know about magic,
organizations were tasked with keeping it secret; now everything seemed to be falling apart.

52
 Alessandro didn't know what to do. A few hours had passed since the battle and he was ready to
throw in the towel. He didn't want to be accused of breaking the secret, if he had been tried by the
Coven he would’ve been imprisoned... or worse.
The ringing of the phone startled the boy. He hesitantly picked up the phone on the fourth ring:
“Ye—Who’s speaking?”
“Hi, sweetie, did you miss me?” it was Yukiko.
“What have you done? Why didn't you hide that chasm?! Now all of London knows! All the
news are talking about it!” he shouted.
“I’m the overseer I don’t do miracles. Did you really think I would be able to close that thing
you opened in Regent's Park?”
“It wasn't— you know it wasn't me. I couldn't foresee it, I couldn't even imagine it.”
“Well, I didn't say it was you, but some of you must have been. How many Servants were
fighting in Regent's Park, mm? Five? Some of them must have—”
“And Rider? Maybe it was your friend's Servant. Maybe this was all your crazy idea.”
“Are you accusing me of breaking my role as an overseer? I never would. Obviously, for you I
would’ve broken all the rules in the world.”
“Stop playing with me, Yukiko. I don't know what you’re planning, but know that you’re
endangering the secret that we magi must preserve.”
“You’re a good magus, my dear, but you’re also naive” she said these words in an amused voice.
“Are you hearing what you say? You seem to be questioning your role as an overseer—”
“Tell me one thing, Alessandro: do you really believe this Holy Grail War will only involve
those like us?”
Alessandro could sense a chill from those words. The hand moved by itself and the receiver was
dropped. Alessandro had to catch his breath, he felt as if he had escaped from the jaws of a hungry
beast. He swallowed the terror of disappointing the Coven and immediately contacted the Grand
Master. He needed help.
Alessandro explained the situation to Giovanni Monteverdi and the latter's reaction was
immediate:
“We cannot suspect the overseer, it would be a violation of the rules of the Holy Grail War.
However, what you’re talking about is rather troubling. Are you sure she’s failing her duties?”
“I think she’s planning something, but I don't know what.”
“Mm, if you were right it would be a problem.”
“What should we do?”
“Nothing, disciple, for now nothing. But if the overseer is really playing against us, we need to
know in advance to be able to take her out.”
“So—”
“You’ll have to find out, disciple. I've already decided to send someone who can help you.”
“That’s fine. I will not contest this decision. In the meantime, I have permission to investigate
Yukiko Kumahira, right?”
“Who?”
That question left Alessandro speechless and confused.
“The overseer...”
“Her name is not Yukiko Kumahira. She’s called Veronica Drakenberg. Who is Yukiko
Kumahira?”
“I— nothing, I was confused. I ask forgiveness.”
Alessandro ended the call and then fell back on the sofa. An absurd thing had just happened to
him and he had no idea how to take it. Who was Yukiko Kumahira really? If the overseer was
called Veronica Drakenberg, who was Yukiko in the Holy Grail War? Were the two the same
person? Or two different people? He was happy to get help, it meant less chance of defeat, but at
the same time he was worried. Yukiko was in his head. He couldn't help but think about it. He
couldn’t shake off the terror he had felt at hearing those cold words of the girl. In his mind, one

53
question was more exposed than the others: why would an overseer want to involve humans in a
Holy Grail War?
Yukiko's last words couldn’t be interpreted in any other way for the boy, it was obvious that she
was thinking of involving humans. But why? For what reason? For what purpose?
Saber's arrival distracted the boy. The girl was wearing only a shirt and sat next to him, resting
her legs on those of the boy. He didn't move but didn't feel comfortable; Saber had a strange attitude
in his opinion. Alessandro was aware that he didn’t have much experience with women, but he was
certain that Saber's attitude wasn’t exactly ‘normal’. She seemed to be trying to seduce him, even
though she knew he wasn't going to have such a relationship.
But he didn't want to argue, on the contrary he decided to take advantage of that moment of
closeness with Saber to be consoled:
“I believe that Yukiko wants to commit atrocities,” he said in a low voice. “I have no proof, not
yet, but my intuition tells me that something bad will happen because of her. What do you think I
should do?”
“Mm...” She crossed her legs, still holding them on the boy's. “Comrade, you should trust your
intuition.”
“What if I'm wrong?”
“Act with caution, this is a golden rule. Don't do too much and don't do too little either. Pretend
it's your first date with the woman of your dreams. If you expose yourself too little, she won't
understand you and think you don't want to have anything to do with her; if you go too far in your
ways, you risk frightening her.”
“You think only about that, huh?”
“What can I say, I love to seduce both men and women.”
“Well, at least you're good at fighting.” He paused to think about the Battle of Regent's Park.
“I'm sorry I misjudged you.”
“Would you like to know my true identity?” she said smiling.
“I—”
The phone rang. Alessandro Serpi gently moved Saber's legs and stood up to answer. The girl,
unhappy with that sudden interruption, decided to leave the sofa and went to the bedroom to lie
down for a while.
Alessandro was a really strange guy. Saber had a great deal of experience in love affairs and
could claim to have slept with men and women from all walks of life. Poor, rich, slaves, soldiers,
kings, queens, foreigners... she had always been the one to make the first move and no one was ever
able to refuse her, but Alessandro seemed immune to her divine beauty. Why? He was a sentimental
type, but people like him also had weaknesses, so what was his? Saber felt challenged.
The girl closed the door and, paying no respect to her Master's privacy, began to explore his
luggage.
She found a small notebook from which came out a photograph of Alessandro as a child with his
mother and his father. Turning the photo she noticed that it was written: ‘Where are you?’.
She sat down on the bed and read that kind of diary of secrets. She read a few lines per page and
skipped many pages. Saber immediately noticed a repetition of some themes: the father, the mother,
the Coven, some occasional crush, existential doubts and desires to escape. The girl sifted through
that information mainly to reveal Alessandro's weaknesses; the selfishness of that gesture, for
Saber, was justified by the future joys of carnal pleasure.
Suddenly, Alessandro's furious hand tore the notebook out of Saber's hands. The boy, infuriated,
exclaimed:
“What do you think you're doing?!”
Saber, without even looking at her Master, answered quietly:
“We need to know each other better, Comrade. I need to know what kind of person you are.”
“To hell with it! My past is my business, you have no right to—”

54
 “Why aren't you attracted to me?” she asked, standing up. “All men and women loved me, my
beauty was compared to that of Venus! Why are you resisting me?”
A shock painted on the boy's face that mingled with the most marked disgust.
“You... did you do all this just for sex? What kind of person are you? A horrible person. You
broke my privacy just because you’re selfish. I don't know your true identity and I don't want to
know it. Keep it to yourself and leave me alone.”
Alessandro threw that notebook on the bed and left the room slamming the door. Saber didn't
stop him. Saber wanted to stop him, but she couldn't move; feelings of guilt had paralyzed her. It
had never happened before. Maybe in her day it was simpler, or maybe she had never noticed it, but
no one had ever called her ‘selfish’... especially not when it came to sexual relations.
Seeing that disgusted look of Alessandro made her feel like a bad person, she felt that she had
disappointed him and had indulged her impulses too much.
Saber left the bedroom, ready to apologize for what she had done, and saw the boy sitting on the
sofa watching television.
“Comrade,” she said.
He turned off the television. He turned with that condemning look still on his eyes.
“What do you want?”
She walked over, took a chair and sat down in front of him.
“I have a confession to make.” Her expression was genuinely sad. “I don't know what it's like to
love someone.”
He didn't say anything. Saber continued:
“I have never thought, in my entire life, of sacrificing myself for the sake of someone else. I've
had a lot of relationships, but... I have never wanted to have children or even to start a family, for
me marriages have always been worthless in themselves and I’ve never been faithful. I know it
sounds bizarre but... for me love is something useless. Marriage, family and children are only means
that can be used to gain fame and power. I never got married for love.”
“So, what?”
“For me the same is true for sex: it has no value in itself, it is just either a political tool or a
pastime. I’ve had many sexual relationships with many people, but I’ve never loved any of them. In
most cases I would take them to bed to get something in return, other times I just wanted to satisfy a
whim of the moment. Were they married? I didn't care. Were they sons or daughters of some
powerful man or woman? It interested me even less. Were they kings or queens of powerful
kingdoms? In that case there I combined business with pleasure. Maybe they were slaves? Who
cared? They were objects and I could use them as I pleased. That’s me.”
“So you’re telling me that you are a cynical person who has no respect for others,” he concluded,
crossing his arms.
“I’ve never humiliated anyone and I’ve never made fun of people for their preferences. I’ve had
respect for others, but I’ve never deluded myself. Exactly. I never called what had a political
purpose ‘love’. I wasn't cynical, I was a realist. Sex is not love, it’s just a tool and above all a
weapon. Those who see carnal pleasures as an expression of love are not made for politics and
shouldn’t aspire to power, because they’re like a lamb surrounded by wolves. I’m a wolf.”
“You’re selfish.”
“Call me what you like, but that doesn't change that I'm right... and that's why I'm sorry. I
apologize if I’ve disappointed you, Comrade, but you must understand that I’m not used to—”
“Enough with the bullshit, Saber,” he exclaimed aggressively. “You said a while ago that sex is a
question of manipulation, right? What were you hoping to get from me? We are no longer in your
time and you certainly cannot aspire to power. So why peek in my notebook? Why violate my
privacy? Why put me in this situation? For what purpose?”
“A whim,” she answered.
“That's all? Just a whim?”
“Yes.”

55
 “Well then...” He got up from the sofa and said: “The next time I see you rummaging through
my things, I'll cancel the Contract.”
After that discussion, the morning was deprived of even the simplest exchange of words between
the two and the afternoon was filled only with hateful looks. It wasn't ideal, for either of us and
especially for Saber. She, who knew perfectly the reality of the war, was aware that a lack of trust
between her and Alessandro would only diminish the chances of victory... and it was her fault.
That night, after a quick shower, Alessandro put on his pajamas and prepared the bed for a well
deserved sleep. Before going to bed, he snapped his fingers and said:
“Abdo Me E Conspectu.”
It was a Magecraft created to confuse the tracks, obviously it couldn’t hide the mana but it
interfered with its perception by creating false tracks for a radius of two kilometers. It basically
worked like this: the enemy magus would have perceived several sources of mana similar to those
of Alessandro Serpi and, in an attempt to attack him, would have followed false leads. The duration
of the Magecraft could be about four or five hours, and obviously it wasn't the perfect cover, but at
least it was something.
Saber entered the room and, before Alessandro could lie down, sat down on the bed and asked in
a low voice:
“Can we talk?”
“Why?” he asked reluctantly.
“I don't want to lose this war and neither do you, right? So I want to rebuild our trust.”
“And how do you think you can do it?”
She was silent for a while, then asked: “What happened to your father?”
“Why do you want to know?” he asked.
“I want to help you—”
“You can't, there’s nothing left to do now. My father is no more. He died at least a year ago.”
“I'm sorry to hear that...” She was sincere.
“You don't have to mind, Saber. I learned of his departure I think... five months ago... from a
member of the Coven. Obviously you're wondering how this is possible, well... know that it's the
same question I asked myself thousands and thousands of times.”
Alessandro sat down next to Saber. The girl, noticing his distraught expression, asked curiously:
“Can I know what happened between you and your father?”
“He abandoned me, that's all. He left me and my mother when I was only seven. My mother
never explained to me the reason... but I know that she, like me, always hoped for his return.”
“Do you want to bring him back to life?”
“No... I'm not so selfish as to bring my father back to life just for my own good. But... I
would’ve liked to have answers. For years I tried to understand his reasons, his desires and for years
I tried, with all my being, to track him down. That was my purpose. That was the only thing that
made me feel alive, for some strange reason. I chased an eagle in flight and hoped to reach it with
my hands, but that eagle disappeared. It disappeared into thin air. When I learned of my father's
death, my whole life lost its meaning. What's the point of going ahead? What's the point of fighting?
What I was fighting for no longer exists. My father died without giving me any answer, without
even calling me once and I wasn’t even able to attend his funeral.”
Saber placed a hand on Alessandro's and said to him:
“I also lost my father when I was young. When he died I had to take care of my family's financial
problems, it wasn’t easy. I've spent my entire life paying off debts and making new ones. I tried to
make my father, who watched over me from the world of the dead, proud. But I've always known
that a not too small part of him would rather see me married to a rich, successful man.”
“Such a marriage wouldn’t have lasted,” he said smiling. “Not with you going around fucking.”
“Knowing the man my father had thought of for me, I can only agree with you.”
“Really?”
“I don't care about the size of the swords, but the temple of a Venus is not for assholes.”

56
 “What was that?” he laughed.
“In short, I have no problem if it’s a pugio, a gladius or a...”
“Zweihänder?”
“A what...?”
“A two-handed sword.”
“For Jupiter’s balls! Now that’s a di—”
She stopped to watch Alessandro laugh out loud. She had never seen him so happy, that bright
face was like a blossomed flower. In that instant something moved in her, it was like a warm hug
that squeezed her heart and the girl had as her first thought to protect that smile. She had never
thought of a person that way. It was a strange feeling for her. She was giving up the desire to share
carnal joys with him and focused only on that smile which was of tremendous value to her. But she
couldn't explain why. Was it because she was taken aback by that reaction of the boy? Or was there
something else?
Then a doubt emerged: ‘Is this... love?’.

CHAPTER 7

It was nine o'clock in the morning. Alessandro Serpi was on the staircase of the art museum
known as Tate Britain. In his head he complimented himself, he had been smart not to say anything
to Saber. The day before he had been on the phone three times: the first with Yukiko, the second
with the Grand Master and the third with the person he would meet. He couldn't say anything to
Saber, he didn't want to alarm her. He knew he was doing something risky but needed clarification
because, during that fateful third call, he had learned of a shocking secret.
Kumahira Yukiko reached the foot of the staircase and, when she saw Alessandro, she raised her
hand and greeted him with a smile that seemed sincere. He remained still. He didn’t return the
greeting and, keeping his arms crossed, he approached her with a brusque walk and asked her:
“Why now?”
“I don't understand, my dear,” she answered, perplexed.
“Why did you decide to talk to me now? You could’ve called me at any other time, especially
before the Holy Grail War. Instead, you chose this very moment. Why? Not a coincidence, is it?”
“Still hard to accept the truth, huh?”
“Show me it's the truth. Show me that you are my stepsister.”
She smiled and then took two photographs out of her purse; she explained:
“This is me two years old. On the right you see my father, Kumahira Hisashi, and my mother,
Hiyama Yumiko.” She showed the other photo. “I'm five years old here and you can see my mother
and—”
“Dad.”
He recognized that man. There was no doubt: that man with a slight beard and long brown hair
was his father. Alessandro looked at Yukiko and then again at the photograph. What could he say?
What was he supposed to say? That girl who until a day ago was an enemy, had now become a
potential ally. It was all happening too fast and he had no idea what to do.
“Why now? I still don’t understand. You could’ve called me at any time and you have decided to
do so now. Why? What are you planning?”
She put the photographs away with a sigh and commented, “I'm surprised that's the first
question. I would’ve expected another kind of conversation, my dear.”
He knew immediately what she was referring to, but he sensed there was a catch. Had she really
asked him to come out just to have a chat about a father they had in common? In the middle of a
war?

57
 “I know what you want, Yukiko, but you won't have it. You’re my stepsister, fine, but I don't
know you and I certainly don't consider you part of my family. You're a stranger to me. So if you’re
thinking of using the ‘family excuse’ to gain my trust, you’re on the wrong track.”
“And what is your family?” she asked with that devilish smile. “From what I know, you’ve lost a
father and your mother has abandoned you in the Coven. You’re very similar to me: I too have lost
my parents and I’m in an organization... with which I don’t share the goals.”
“How do you know these things? How do you know my mother has abandoned me?”
“I work for an organization known as the New Order of Nidhogg. We’ve learned a lot about the
Masters who would participate in the Holy Grail War. It was we, after all, who announced its
beginning.”
“But how did you know who would take part in the war?”
“Ah-ah,” she said, moving her finger. “That's not how it works. You don't trust me, so why
should I trust you?”
“It was you who wanted to talk to me.”
“Well, my dear, I called you hoping for a little cooperation from you.”
“You already have a Master as an ally, if I'm not mistaken.”
“You’re not mistaken. But this Master is little more than a shellfish when compared to you.
You’re a very powerful magus and we both know that such power can be put at the service of less...
fanatical people.”
“Talking about the Coven?”
“They’re afraid of your power, that's why they hold you by the collar. But you can face them and
you can defeat them all. With my help, of course.”
“You are crazy. I'm leaving.”
“So you don't really want to know what happened to our father?”
Alessandro stopped. He turned to the girl who wore that manipulative smile. If she had been
someone else, he would’ve give her the middle finger... but that girl probably had information that
Alessandro had spent his entire life looking for. He agreed to take a stroll with her.
“You were seven when your father left you, right?” she asked.
“Yes.” He still didn't understand how she knew those things.
“I’m your younger sister, technically. I've always wanted a brother, but our father never told me
about you.”
Alessandro's heart tightened and the boy was overwhelmed by a wave of bitterness. He took a
deep breath and kept listening, but he felt like crying.
“He married my mother after my birth father died.”
“How did he die?”
“Suicide.”
“Oh... I’m sorry.”
“It's an old story now and I was too young to understand what had happened anyway. Your
father entered my mother's life by chance and after a year they decided to get married. I've always
had a good relationship with him, but I didn't know he was a magus.”
“Did you know Magecraft back then?”
“No. I was human and then I became a magus. Thanks to him, of course.”
“I see...”
He didn't believe her. That was clearly a lie. No human being can become a magus in a single
lifetime. At least two or three years of study were required to develop a single Magic Circuit.
Throughout history techniques had been invented to increase the number of Magic Circuits,
obviously these were risky practices, and deadly in half of the cases. But these practices were
capable of adding up to five Magic Circuits. Yukiko was probably two or three years younger than
Alessandro, which meant she could be nineteen or eighteen. If she had used practices to artificially
increase her Magic Circuits every year, not only would she not have reached the minimum

58
necessary to become a magus but she would’ve suffered indescribable pains; pains in both body and
soul.
He was more than sure she was lying, but he wasn't going to tell her anything, it was better to
pretend to believe everything she said.
“Before continuing, I would like to know something that has just occurred to me... who is
Veronica Drakenberg?”
“My alias. A cover. Nothing special.”
“Yeah, I see...”
He didn't know how much to believe her but for now it was better to assume that she was only
telling the truth.
“So...” he started “why did our father find himself in Japan?”
“He was studying the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil.”
“Can you prove it?”
“Well, in a way this war is the proof you need.”
“What do you mean?”
“Our father was a good man on the outside, but on the inside he was as deviated as the worst
magi. His obsession with the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil led him to perform acts that human laws
condemn.”
“Let's say I believe you, what does this war have to do with it?”
“Do you believe that a Holy Grail appears out of nowhere? Specific rituals must be prepared to
allow the Holy Grail to materialize in the world; without those rituals the Grail remains in an
ethereal form... completely separate from the physical world. When a Holy Grail War is announced,
the overseer is tasked with opening a link between the chosen Grail and this world. With this
procedure one does nothing but allow the Grail to act on the physical world and lay the spiritual
foundations for the evocation of a Servant.”
“But that doesn't answer my question.”
“In a War of the Holy Grail that respects the laws what happens is this: there’s the conflict, the
Master and the Servant who win meet the overseer who then does the ritual to give them the Holy
Grail. The Holy Grail of Yggdrasil does not work that way, my dear. The ritual requires blood.”
“Blood? You mean—”
“Not in a metaphorical sense, but in a literal sense. The death of the Servants is, in itself, useless
in this war. The Holy Grail of Yggdrasil wants human blood. Real people have to die.”
It was too much for him. The scene she had painted in his head was hellish. Hundreds if not
thousands of people who are killed just for a stupid relic. It was unacceptable.
“So is that why you want me to rebel against the coven? To take part in a genocide?”
“Well—”
“No. Fuck you. Fuck you and all this power and family bullshit. I will not become the
accomplice of a massacre.”
She blocked his way and approached him like a cat with its prey. Her gaze was that of a hungry
killer, around her there was only the chill of death; it was something surreal. Alessandro was scared
as he had never been in his entire life.
“Remember this, sweetie,” she said “we’re not blood relatives but it’s blood that binds us. The
atrocities committed by our father brought us here, you can't run away from me and you know it
too. So why be stubborn? Accept your fate and stay by my side.” She kissed him on the cheek.
Alessandro had the sensation of having received the kiss of death. He pushed the girl and
abruptly said to her:
“I agreed to talk to you and I see that you’re a crazy bitch. Next time I meet you I’ll kill you.”
He left without looking back. He now he had a real goal: to stop Yukiko.

Paddington district

59
 In the vicinity of the Victoria pub, Clovis Wolff met a man in his forties who dressed as a
Victorian nobleman. This English man shook hands with Clovis and introduced himself:
“I’m Sir Bradley Jenkins, I am a member of the Mage's Association7. You must be Mr. Wolff,
right?”
“Exactly. I'm glad you agreed to meet me, I’ve questions to discuss. Follow me.”
The two walked along the streets of the neighborhood. Clovis told Bradley:
“I’ve had the chance to fight against the other Masters who participate in the Holy Grail War and
I admit that I’ve never felt so alive. I noticed, however, that the Coven also took part in the war. Did
you know about it?”
“Certainly.”
“Perfect, then I don't think I have to give explanations for the proposal I made on the phone, just
before.”
“You want the help of the Mage's Association to ban the Coven member from the war, am I
right?”
“The Coven is an organization of fanatical magi, I thought the Mage's Association was against
these people.”
“From what I know, even the Rote Mäntel have extremist ideologies.”
“It's not the same thing.”
“Listen, Mr.Wolff, on the phone you seemed like a friendly and intelligent person. I decided to
meet you because certain issues are too sensitive to discuss without even looking each other in the
face. And I need to look you in the face and tell you: your proposal is risky.”
“Do you realize that the Coven is a danger?”
“Mr. Wolff, two years ago I had the opportunity to speak with Grand Master Giovanni
Monteverdi X. I had a pleasant discussion and he assured me that the Coven has changed, it doesn't
overflow with fanatics like it used to. Now the only ones with too many fanatics among their ranks
are the Rote Mäntel.”
“One moment! Are you telling me that the Mage's Association approves the presence of the
Coven?! That’s—”
“Obviously I don't totally trust the Coven, Mr.Wolff, but I don't think it's smart to exclude them
from this game only at the request of a rival. We have our own history with the Coven and I admit
that the Holy Church often manages to betray the trust that is given to it, but the War of the Holy
Grail follows specific rules and we all have to respect them.”
“What I ask of you is to convince the other organizations to call the Assembly and vote to
exclude—”
“What are you trying to do, Mr.Wolff? Do you want to find a way to easily win the Holy Grail
War?”
“I...”
Clovis didn't know how to answer, Bradley was right. He was only looking for a way to quickly
get rid of his rival. He had no intention of clashing with a member of the Coven, because he knew
that those magi were really powerful, Alessandro Serpi was proof of this. Bradley approached
Clovis and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder, then said:
“Don't worry, you don't need to cheat to win this short-lived war.”
“What do you mean?”
“Considering what happened in Regent's Park, we are considering bringing to the Assembly the
proposal to stop the Holy Grail War. For the Mage’s Association it’s quite obvious that the overseer
is incompetent. So don't think about it too much, okay? In a few days, the whole war will probably
be over and you can go home.”
“Yeah? In a few days?”

7
So, I know that technically the Clock Tower and the Mage’s Association are not the same in the Nasuverse, but in
Fate/Yggdrasil they coincide. In this work it’s always an organization of English magi. It has two names: Clock Tower
and Mage’s Association.

60
 “Probably.”
“I see.”
“Now, if you don't mind, I have to go. I’ve some pressing business waiting for me. Good day.”
“You too.”

“Thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six...”

“Hey, Comrade, have you noticed that TV shows are strangely boring?”
Alessandro stopped his push-ups and stood up, noticed that Saber was watching a sitcom and
asked:
“How come you find it boring?”
“There are no strong jokes, there’s no satire... there aren't even the rape jokes. Nothing. In my
day the comedy was more intense, this is stuff a puer can look at.”
“In your day, comedy was more vulgar.”
“Or you have all become like Cicero: ‘if you talk about penises at the table, I'll kick you out’.”
“Yeah, yeah... can you give me the towel?”
“Here.”
Saber threw the towel and he caught it. Drying himself off, Alessandro went to the refrigerator to
get something cool to drink. When he returned to the girl he sensed mana outside the door.
“Turn off the television, I think we have visitors.”
“Who?”
“Definitely a magus.”
Alessandro opened the door preparing for the worst... it was a girl of his age. She was a magus
just like him and wore a nun's dress. This girl had teal eyes and red straight hair, styled to have two
long braids. Alessandro, seeing her, asked:
“Have you been sent by the Coven?”
“Yes, that's right. I'm Elisa Mancini. You must be Alessandro Serpi, right?”
“Right. You want to get comfortable?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Elisa entered the lobby and when she saw Saber she had a moment of embarrassment. The girl
that stood in front of her wasn’t only very beautiful but she also wore a frilly black crop top with
shorts, and she didn't seem to care how much that dress showed. Elisa left Alessandro with the task
of putting aside the luggage and in the meantime she introduced herself to Saber.
“A real honor to know the Heroic Spirit who will make us win the war.”
“I'm glad someone immediately realized how strong I am. My Master took longer.”
“The Grand Master has instructed me to ask you some questions concerning Alessandro Serpi:
were there any communication problems?”
“Mm? If there were any communication problems, you ask me? Mm...” Saber noticed that
Alessandro had just entered the bedroom, which meant she could have some fun. “No
communication problems, our coordination was perfect. He didn't even need me to tell him
anything, he did it all by himself and, let me tell you, he's great at using his mouth.”
“Wha—?”
“Next question,” she said with an amused smile.
“Um, do you often use teamwork or do you do everything yourself?”
“Well, for some things it always takes two. Cooperation is necessary to reach the goal with ease
and joy. Sometimes I take the initiative, sometimes he takes it.”
“Okay, fine... I guess. Um, were there ever times when you disagreed?”
“Mm ... oh yeah! There was a little quarrel about the position to take. I had opted for an elevated
position, while he preferred a lower one.”
“That’s... okay? Here... do you two use coded messages to communicate during battle?”
“Yeah, one.”
“Which one?”

61
 Saber showed her index finger and then passed it in the ok sign. Elisa's mouth dropped open in
shock and Saber winked. When Alessandro returned from the bedroom, after having put away the
various luggage, he was taken aback by the newcomer's question:
“Did you two have sex?”
Alessandro turned his gaze to Saber, who pretended not to know anything. He looked at Elisa
and answered gravely:
“No. Whatever she told you, she was just kidding you.”
Saber shrugged and exclaimed:
“You’re all too serious here. I just wanted to have some fun. That said, my Comrade and I share
the bed sometimes.”
“Ah,” Elisa exclaimed, blushing.
“Don't misunderstand, nothing happened,” he commented, slightly agitated.
“No, of course, I understand. Um... where can I sleep?”
“There's the couch. Is it okay for you to sleep on the couch?”
“Of course, no problem.”
“Great, then we're good.”
Alessandro then explained the situation to Elisa but avoided talking about Yukiko; neither Elisa
nor Saber had to know about the family bond between Yukiko and Alessandro. He lied more out of
caution than out of fear.
Living together with the two of them turned out to be useful in some respects and a nuisance in
others. Alessandro had never lived together with two girls and therefore hearing Saber and Elisa
chatting to each other like two best friends, or seeing them go to the bathroom together, or even
hearing them giggling among themselves, was quite strange for him. He protested loudly when
Elisa and Saber decided to go out alone to visit the city; but he took that opportunity to enjoy a few
moments of peace. Elisa was helpful in this regard. Perhaps Saber needed a female friend who
enjoyed spending a lot of time with her; he wasn’t the right person for that role. Elisa was a real
blessing for Alessandro because she allowed him to spend more time reflecting on the Yukiko
Kumahira issue.
Two days had passed. Saber and Elisa returned to the hotel room in the early afternoon.
Alessandro immediately noticed that happy expression on the Servant's face; he couldn’t help but
smile in his turn trying, at the same time, to strangle that slight sadness.
“Can I ask you a question?” Elisa had approached Alessandro while he was reading a book.
Saber had just gone to the bedroom to change.
“What do you want?”
“Do you know Saber's true identity?”
“No.”
“No? Not interested in knowing it?”
“Why should I? The important thing is that Saber knows how to do her job.”
“Yes, sure but—”
“If you really want to find out her identity, you can ask her the question” he said sharply.
“There’s something wrong?” she asked worriedly.
“I'm fine.”
“It almost seems like you have no interest in your Servant. If that were the case, it would be a
problem for the Coven.”
Then Alessandro remembered that he was dealing with a member of the Coven; he had let his
guard down too soon. He couldn't afford to talk to Elisa freely, it would be serious problems.
Agitatedly he looked for an excuse to take a walk outside and left the room.
She had no proof. Elisa couldn’t convict Alessandro with the accusation of treason, not yet at
least. Alessandro had to be more careful, one false move and it would all be over.

62
 He was wrong. He realized this as he walked back to the girl apologizing. He had been wrong to
see Elisa as Saber's perfect friend; he was also wrong to see her as a mere ally sent by the Coven.
That coexistence turned into a dangerous game of chess with an inquisitor.
Elisa wasn’t a friend, she was the enemy.

“Don't you think this day is beautiful, my dear Hiro?” Yukiko turned to Sunahara Hiro, who was
sitting on the sofa with a dull look aimed at nothing. The girl, smiling, added: “Oh, sorry, dear. I
completely forgot that you’re now my personal slave. Things that happen.”
“What’s your purpose?” asked the Servant who was on the other side of the room, leaning
against the wall with her arms crossed and with a look full of contained anger.
Yukiko answered immediately:
“My purpose? Well, Rider, your question will not be answered.”
“What?”
“You cannot understand, Rider, since you’re only a Servant, limited by the experience of your
time. You would never be able to understand my purpose, my reason for being here.”
“I know you met Saber's Master. Why did you do that? What are you trying to achieve?”
“Are you spying on me, Rider? This is a real problem, you know? If you go your own way, bad
things could happen to your Master.” Yukiko had a coldly happy expression painted on her face.
“If you want my help, I deserve a—”
“You’re in no position to make demands, Rider. I don't need your consent or your trust. You
should worry about your Master's well-being, not what I do with my very dear friend.”
“Sooner or later I'll be able to cut your throat, then I'll be happy to have eliminated a plague from
this war” Rider asserted in a low voice.
“You're very good at talking, Rider. But don't bother the snake or you will be bitten. Now, Rider,
how about doing me a favor?”

Paddington station
Clovis Wolff was coming down the stairs to reach his train. He intended to go to the hotel where
Sir Bradley Jenkins was staying. His intent was to have a face-to-face conversation with him on the
matter of the destruction of the Holy Grail. He had no idea what to say or even how to convince the
man, but he needed to act quickly. He went down the stairs and then received a call from his wife.
He replied:
“What's up, honey?”
“You know what's happening!” she screamed. “It's happening that you’re not here when you
should be! What kind of father is away at a time like this?!”
“I've already told you, it's something I absolutely have to do. You can't understand, but I
promise you everything will work out.”
“What the fuck are you talking about, Clovis?! Don't you realize that our little girl could...” He
heard her sobbing. “I don't want that to happen, Clovis... I could never handle such pain, Clovis...
please come home...”
“I'll save her, you have to trust me. What I'm doing will save her...” His eyes were getting wet.
“I will do everything in my power to save our daughter.”
“Clovis... come home... please... I can't do it alone...”
“I'll come back, honey, I promise. But until then, bitte, have faith in me. Ich liebe dich.”
Clovis ended the call and headed for the train, but at that moment he felt the presence of a
Master who was approaching him. It couldn't be true and yet it was, there was no doubt. He turned
and muttered:
“Holy shit... here?!”
He saw Sunahara Hiro arrive with Rider. Clovis immediately noticed that the two didn’t mind
the other people, who were confused; the man entered the train and when he saw all the passengers

63
he realized that he couldn't fight, not with them in there at least; so he decided to shoot a magic
bullet to unleash an explosion outside the train.
People, seized with terror, escaped from the wagons and started running out of the station. Caster
appeared behind Clovis and asked, curious:
“Tell me, Master, what’s the purpose of this? Why don't we try to fight them elsewhere?”
“And where? It’s now clear that they want to fight in broad daylight. We might as well do it at
this station, or...”
“Do you have something in mind, Master?”
“Yes. Summon an ink creature and put it at the helm of this train. We will fight them here.”
“As you wish, Master,” Caster said, lowering his head.
Hiro went in the wagon along with Rider. Clovis was waiting for both of them. Clovis
immediately noticed that the boy's eyes had something strange, they were as absent as that of a
corpse. He immediately realized that Hiro was probably under the effect of some Magecraft, he had
seen things like this before but he had no intention of pitying the boy. Caster told Clovis that the
preparations had been completed; the train was ready to go. Clovis smiled, but he wasn't quite sure
he would win the fight.
Rider stepped forward and, pointing the blade, exclaimed:
“I'm here to take your life!”
“So sei es,” he said in a low voice. “We're going to have this fight my way, Rider.”
At that moment the doors of the wagons closed. The train jolted slightly and, after a mechanical
noise, left.

Clovis and Caster. Hiro and Rider. The train was in motion and the rivals had not yet started
fighting. Five minutes had passed and no one had yet made a single move. Clovis, noting Rider's
weapon and armor, deduced that she had to be a samurai. Not the ideal opponent for a Caster, but
not the worst possible one either. It was a question of being careful and not underestimating the
enemy.
Clovis turned his attention to Hiro, who had the eyes of a living dead. The man sighed. His
intuition suggested that the two were probably in the hands of someone more powerful; a real
shame but he wasn't going to take it easy. It was a matter of life or death... the life or death of a
daughter.
Clovis fired a magic bullet from his hand, but Hiro dodged it; the boy withdrew into another
wagon and the man, wasting no time, chased him leaving Caster and Rider alone.
Caster opened his book and took out the goose feather. Rider remained motionless for just a
moment but then, with impressive speed, set off for the attack. With a blow she tried to hit Caster,
but was stopped by a being made of ink that blocked the attack using its hands. Rider kicked that
creature and beheaded it. Caster, smiling, said:
“I've got others for you, Rider.”
“Perfect!”
Other creatures of black ink attacked Rider together and the girl, with agility, dodged the various
enemy attacks, then counterattacked with slashes that cut the creatures in half. An ink creature
attacked Rider from behind but she pierced it with her sword; then she killed another one by cutting
both its arms and its head; she killed another one by beheading it directly.
An ink creature suddenly came and pushed Rider with such force that she smashed through the
door of the wagon leading outwards; Rider, to avoid falling, leaped sideways, ran to the side of the
train and then climbed to the roof.
Caster created beings made of ink armed with swords and spears. These creatures reached Rider
on the roof of the train and began to clash with her. Rider was alone against six opponents, but
thanks to her fighting technique she was very capable of keeping up with all of them.
After parrying the blows of two enemies, she leaped back to dodge the spear of a third; she
lowered to avoid a slash of a fourth and a fifth enemy; she got up, turning, to decapitate the sixth

64
who was about to pierce her with a spear.
Three opponents led several blows, one after the other, but Rider was able to dodge them all and
with extreme speed tripped all three and, while they were still in mid-air, she cut them in half with
the katana.
Only two enemies remained: one with a sword and one with a spear. Rider, sheathing her sword,
struck one opponent, the one with the spear, with a flying kick; the enemy with the sword tried to
hit her from behind but Rider, with inhuman reflexes, immediately turned and parried the blow
using the scabbard of the katana; she drew her weapon and cut off the head of the enemy; finally
she killed the last one who was left.
Rider reached Caster, inside the wagon, and, pointing her sword, exclaimed in a combative tone:
“Are we done with the warm-up? When do we get serious, Caster?”
“Really good performance, Rider, but don't think you won just because you killed some of my
children. This battle has just begun.”
Four other ink creatures appeared before Rider; she exhibited a combative smile and confronted
them without hesitation. All four tried to hit her with their weapons, but Rider was faster than them
and her reflexes were inhumane. The girl managed to kill two of them with a single blow. The last
two blocked her arms allowing a third, who had just appeared, to attack her. Rider jumped and
kicked the creature. To free herself, she let herself fall and, when the creatures let go of her, the girl
jumped to get back on her feet. The two ink beings were killed in an instant. The last tried a
desperate attack but was beheaded immediately.
“I've faced worse enemies,” Rider said with that satisfied smile. “I'm glad I finally got the chance
to take out some Servants.”

Meanwhile Clovis managed to reach Hiro. The boy could no longer escape and he certainly
couldn't fight. Clovis, for a moment, turned his attention away from the battle and wondered the
reasons behind such an attack: why had Hiro attacked him? Who had sent him? For what reason to
have a battle in broad daylight?
Hiro was unable to fight, he was like an undead and posed no threat to Clovis; an easy victory
for the man. He raised his hand and prepared to kill the Master.
“I'm sorry.”
At that moment, a female figure appeared behind Hiro, sporting a sadistic smile like that of a
murderer. Yukiko Kumahira moved the boy abruptly and approached Clovis; her eyes were cold as
death and the man knew immediately that she was the reason for Hiro's condition.
“So, little girl, who are you?”
“You can call me ‘sir’.”
The girl hit the man in the chest with her palm open; the force of that attack was such that Clovis
flew to the end of that wagon, crashing into the steel wall. Stunned, the man didn’t have time to
realize what had just happened; the girl was approaching him at a moderate pace. He fired a magic
bullet. Yukiko was shot but not injured. Clovis was shocked, it was as if the girl was indestructible
or something. She smiled and said:
“Rejoice, Clovis, you won't see your daughter die.”
The man, enraged, didn’t let the girl say another word and used even more powerful Magecraft:
“Gottes Überbleibsel.”
The vermilion-colored magic ball hit Yukiko. The result was the same. No damage. The man
repeated the same attack a second time and the result didn’t change.
“What is it said about people who repeat the same actions expecting a different result?” she
asked sardonic.
Yukiko grabbed Clovis by the throat and pulled him up. The girl, with that sadistic grin on her
face, threw Clovis against a wall of the train and then, approaching him, pressed her foot against his
face; the heel of her boot was injuring Clovis, who felt like a helpless child against Yukiko; the girl

65
wanted to crush his head. He tried to free himself and hit her leg, but Yukiko didn't move; Clovis
felt like he was fighting a wall.
“Poor you, poor you... it seems your battle has come to an end.”
Hiro threw himself, with all his weight, against Yukiko. Clovis, free, left to regain his strength. It
took the girl a while to realize she had been attacked by the boy, when she realized what happened...
her surprised look turned to a cold one; her mouth wore a marked disgust. The girl violently moved
Hiro and, when she got up, grabbed him by the hair and dragged him with her towards the doors
that led outside.
“You’re a nobody, Sunahara Hiro, you’re not useful even as a slave. I shouldn't have used that
Magecraft on you... no, no, I should’ve done what your parents didn't have the courage to do.” With
a kick she broke down the door.
The deafening noise of the train running along the tracks and the strong current of air made
Hiro's empty eyes water, it was as if he understood what was going to happen to him.
“Have you ever heard of the Taygetus? Legends tell of Spartans who climbed the peaks of this
mountain to throw disabled children. Do you know why they did it? Because those children were
harmful to society. Their existence was an insult to Sparta. That's why they had to die.” She
grabbed Hiro by the throat and concluded: “This is your Taygetus. This is the end of your race, my
dear Hiro.”
The train suddenly stopped in the middle of the tracks. Yukiko fell back and Hiro remained
inside the wagon only by a miracle. The girl, confused, looked around her and saw Clovis use a
Command Seal to call Caster; shortly thereafter, the two withdrew.
Yukiko got up and cleaned her dress. After a few seconds Rider arrived and was shocked to learn
that Yukiko was with Hiro. Rider said gunmen were coming; Yukiko understood that it had to be
the police.
“We have to go,” Rider said.
“Yeah, yeah...”
Yukiko turned and saw Hiro crawl towards the exit, in her eyes he was like a wriggling worm
before its inevitable end. The girl sighed with a slight disgust and blocked the boy's way. He raised
his head. His empty, wet eyes stared at her intently. Yukiko bent down and stroked his face; a smile
twisted her mouth.
“You have no idea how useless you are. Because of you, Clovis Wolff managed to escape and
now I'll have to hunt him down again. In a way it’s my fault, it was I who enslaved you and to do so
I used a Magecraft that isn’t perfect. It's not your fault... it's my fault.” Tears fell from the boy's
eyes. “Are you crying, Hiro? Why are you crying? Heroes aren't supposed to cry, are they? Maybe
you’re crying because you don't want to fight anymore?”
Rider was behind Yukiko. She could sense the wickedness in the girl's words. She drew her
sword silently, ready to strike Yukiko.
“What you are doing? Do you want to betray me?”
Yukiko's cold voice paralyzed Rider. That girl's eyes turned to the Servant; the face was cold but
staring into those eyes was like looking at hell. Yukiko smiled.
“Do you really think you're faster than me, Rider?”
“I can’t—”
“Why are you on his side? Maybe it's part of a samurai code? If you’re truly faithful to your
Master you should get down on your knees and take your own life. But... we both know you won't,
right? Because the code is only a set of words, but life requires sacrifices and even... betrayals.”
“Worm! Don't you dare insult bushido! A bitch like you could never understand the way of the
warrior! I’m faithful, I’m honorable and I’m—”
“A liar,” she said smiling. “How many times have you changed sides? How many times have
you preferred to follow your ambition rather than the code? The way of the warrior you speak of is
discussed by many, but we both know that it was followed by few.” She paused briefly. “Honesty,
justice, courage, compassion, courtesy, sincerity, honor, duty and loyalty. You’re a samurai, right?

66
These are the principles of the way of the warrior, right? But don't you think there's something
missing from this list? Like money, greed, violence, selfishness and, of course, power.”
Rider felt deeply insulted by Yukiko's arrogant attitude, but for some reason she couldn't hit her,
it was as if a part of her was preventing her from doing it.
“So, Rider, let me put it in simpler terms, so we avoid too much philosophy: either you kill
yourself or you take my side. The choice is yours.”
Rider looked at Yukiko, then Hiro. She sighed.
Rider sheathed her sword.
“I'm at your service... Master.”
“Good to know. You haven’t lost common sense.” Yukiko then turned to Hiro and touched him.
“Ge Det Till Mig.”
The Command Seal brightened and disappeared from Hiro's chest, it reappeared on the chest of
Yukiko. Rider was now in Yukiko's hands and she resigned herself to the idea that she would see
her former Master executed. Yukiko said:
“Mitt Vapen.”
A pistol magically appeared in her right hand. She pointed the weapon at the boy's head. Yukiko
had a cold expression, devoid of any emotion; Hiro had an empty face, with his head raised towards
his executioner, the boy didn't realize what was happening.. or so it seemed. Rider turned away and
then left, she wasn't strong enough to see her former Master die like that.
Yukiko began to speak in a tone that sounded almost maternal:
“You’re nothing. Your birth was useless, your life itself has never had a value. You were born to
be just a pawn, nothing more, nothing less. A mediocre magus destined for nothing and with a life
so insignificant that it doesn’t even deserve to be mentioned in the footnotes of history. Some are
bound to get better or worse over the course of their lives, but you... you were destined neither to
get worse nor to improve. All your life, all the things you’ve done and dreamed of, have been
useless... because you’re useless. You weren't meant for anything grand, that's the truth. In reality,
letting you live would be like doing wrong to people who deserve more than you to breathe. This is
the end, my dear ‘hero’. I won't even leave you the privilege of saying your last words, someone
like you wouldn't have anything interesting to say. Goodbye.”
Yukiko pulled the trigger. A shot went off.

CHAPTER 8

The story of the hijacked train circulated all over the national news; the first to be blamed were
the terrorists, who, however, weren’t there and this raised a wave of paranoia among Londoners.
First the Regent's Park chasm and now the hijacked train; fear of a coup d'état circulated and the
more religious began to speak of divine punishment.
This climate of fear didn’t in the least affect Sergei Rybakov, who enjoyed a moment of peace
with his poem:

The song of the desperate soul

The last to live is the fool,
The sun will rise again
When the war ends,
My heart asks for mercy
And my mind runs away,
But an instinct, a wicked voice,
Leads me to continue.

67
 Someone prays,
Someone runs away,
Someone goes on,
Who's the fool?

Rybakov closed his notebook when he saw a man sitting next to him. Turning around, Rybakov
immediately recognized the face of Murakawa Tetsuya. Sergei knew perfectly well that Tetsuya
would never try to attack him in broad daylight in a public place with the police around, so he was
quiet.
The two were both silent. Ahead of them, on the other street, a man with typical Middle Eastern
features was targeted by three men.
“Go back to your country!” one screamed.
“We don't want bin Laden's bitches here!” said the second man.
The third simply laughed.
The victim of those insults reacted by raising his middle finger and this caused a fight. Some
men helped the Arab, others supported the three; eventually the police intervened and ended the riot
and carried out several arrests.
Tetsuya looked at that scene with an almost amused expression, while Rybakov wanted to help
that poor man who had been unjustly attacked. Tetsuya lit a cigarette and said:
“One is dead. A young magus named Sunahara Hiro, an idiot who was Rider's Master. However,
Lancer confirmed that Rider is still alive and has a new Master. A girl. I have no idea who she is.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Rybakov asked confused.
“What just happened should make you realize that London is running out of time. Chaos will
break out in this city and a lot of people will die from the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil. We cannot
act as if this were an ordinary Holy Grail War, there’s something bigger at stake.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Regent's Park, the train... who the fuck is overseer? My grandma? Haven't you noticed how
none of this has been hidden? My theory is that nobody cares. Whoever organized this war wants to
see London burn.”
“I still don't understand why you’re talking to me.”
“If the rules don't do shit, then we can help each other take out the other Masters. For example:
the guy from the Coven.”
“You're a fool if you think you can have my help,” Rybakov exclaimed ironically. “I have my
goals and you have yours. Fighting together is useless.”
“You will think again, Russian, I'm sure... but maybe you want to convince me that you will be
able to face the Servant who opened that hole in the park.”
“And do you think Lancer can live up to it? Please.”
“Unlike you, I’m an expert killer,” Tetsuya proudly stated. “I don't need to see people in the face
to know what kind they are, I just need to see what they do. The Master of that Servant who
destroyed Regent's Park is definitely a coward.”
“It would all be simpler if it were that easy...” Sergei stood up and added: “Our conversation
comes to an end. Do svidaniya.8”

That night, Sergei managed to infiltrate Regent's Park to analyze the huge chasm. Along with
him there was also Assassin who asked him, intrigued:
“What do you think of that man's words?”
“That man is strange and has problems, but he’s not wrong. There’s something strange about this
war. What happened here in Regent's Park is truly disturbing. I mean, why did the overseer do
nothing to hide all this? Why did a battle between Servants take place in broad daylight?”

8
In Cyrillic it should be written: До свидания.

68
 “A conspiracy?”
“But for what? For what purpose? And who?”
“I can't tell you. People are weird, you know? Sometimes they do the most evil things for the
smallest reasons, other times they have no reason at all.”
Sergei looked at that long and deep chasm, it was as if the earth had been slashed by a blade. The
man got down on one knee and touched the ground with his hand.
“Same thing,” he said. “This is identical to the one in the Japanese city. This means only one
thing: we were being followed.”
“A Servant? But I didn’t perceive anyone.”
“This is what makes it all the more worrying, in short, how was it possible for a Servant to attack
us without getting noticed? You have the Assassin class. We have met, so far: Saber, Lancer, Caster
and Archer. So it could be Rider or Berserker, but neither should be able to mask their presence like
an Assassin. So... who did all this?”
“It’s certainly the work of a Noble Phantasm—”
“We’re talking about an attack so powerful that it can destroy Caster's barrier in an instant and
opens a chasm of this size... not to mention the earthquake...”
“... and the fact that none of us noticed,” Assassin added. “That Servant used their Noble
Phantasm without any of us noticing. It’s not strange, it’s absurd.”
“You're right, and then I'd like to know something else: what kind of Servant is capable of
launching such a devastating attack?”
“I have no idea, Master, that's why it's worth investigating.”
Sergei stood on the slope of that deep chasm. He stared at it with wide eyes, frightened but
intrigued. He was eager to find out the identity of his enemy, but at the same time he was afraid of
the consequences. Assassin approached Sergei and asked him:
“Sorry for this sudden question but: do you have any wishes?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I’ve never asked you and, if we have to face such a powerful enemy, it seems right to know
what I’m fighting for.”
“I want to earn money with my poems.”
“That's all? I would’ve expected more from someone like you.”
“Is it trivial for you? For me it's not. My grandmother always told me that my words can
communicate to people's hearts, but nobody wants to publish my poems. There are those who
consider them childish and there are those who don’t consider them at all. Poverty hasn’t broken me
but is starving my family.”
“Your family?”
“Yes. My father, my mother, my grandmother, and my sister. My family. My father can no
longer work after losing an arm in the steel plant; my mother works as a waitress and my sister is a
prostitute. I want to have the money to give them the life they deserve.”
“So it's not for you the money, it's for them. A commendable gesture, Master, but also a little
exaggerated.”
“Why?”
“Don't take it personally, but you’re giving your life away for other people. Whether family or
not, these sacrifices are often stupid because the gratitude received in exchange is never enough.”
“I don't want their gratitude, I want to see them smile. In this sad world, I want to bring joy to the
hearts of my loved ones.” Curiosity then prompted Sergei to ask this question: “And what about
you, Assassin? Do you have a wish?”
“I want fame, Master. In the history of Russia, I’m a nobody. I want to be recognized for my
deeds and I want to be celebrated for accomplishing great things.”
“I see. We may not share the same ideals, but I hope our collaboration can lead us to certain
victory, Assassin.”
“I hope so too, Master.”

69
 Elisa had gone out and Alessandro was with Saber in the bedroom. He was leafing through a
book, and although his eyes were glued to the words, his mind wandered freely.
He had done everything possible to avoid arousing too many suspicions and Elisa had not asked
him any particular questions, however there was the fear that something would go wrong.
Alessandro was cautious and trusted his mouth, but he couldn't say the same about Saber. She had
spent a lot of time with Elisa and maybe she had said something bad about him, or something
incriminating. He wanted to be sure.
“So... um... about Elisa... do you like being with her?”
“Mm?”
Saber, who was on the bed reading some political magazine, looked at Alessandro, who had just
left his desk. She immediately sensed that he wanted to ask a specific question and didn’t want to
talk about the time she was spending with Elisa.
“Yeah, I like her,” she smiled.
“Good, good... um... do you two talk a lot?”
“Enough.”
“What do you... usually... talk about?”
“Things.”
“Yes, of course—I don't want to mind your business, but... um...”
“Are you afraid that I might say something that will get you in trouble?”
Saber's sharpness stunned him. He could no longer walk around it now.
“Yes... I want to know. That girl... is dangerous to me, I don't know if you can understand... or if
you care. Probably not, but—”
“I care,” she said. “Do you care about me?”
“Wha—?”
“I love spending time with her, but it shouldn't be that way, right? I should like your company,
Comrade, not that of a stranger I just met. We’re in this situation because of you. Now you’re afraid
that I may have said something, and you will not easily trust my words, so mistrust will grow and
we will start all over again. We’ll have to build our friendship again. A waste of time and energy,
and all because of a fool.”
“I know, I fucked up—”
“Yes, and the most annoying thing is that you could’ve avoided it,” she commented with a tone
of reproach. “You could’ve spared yourself the doubts and fears that now plague you, it would’ve
been enough for you to spend more time with me... and now we are in this ridiculous situation.”
“I'm sorry, but it's hard for me—”
“To do what, Comrade? Is it so hard for you to spend some time with me?”
“Yes,” he answered in a low voice and with regret. “I'm not used to having friends, I've never
had any... I've never looked for them, to be honest. I find it difficult to spend time with people. I
don't hate you, Saber, but you have to understand that for me... it’s simply difficult. I'm used to
loneliness, it’s just that.”
Saber lowered the magazine and got out of bed to hug Alessandro. He blushed.
“Sa—Saber?”
“Shhh... don’t talk. Enjoy this moment.”
He returned the hug. After a few minutes the two separated. Saber stroked Alessandro's face and
reassured him:
“I care about you, Comrade. I really care about you.”

When Elisa got home she saw the two on the sofa while they were watching the news; there was
talk of the train that had been hijacked. The girl sat down, however she wasn’t interested in the
news but in Alessandro Serpi.

70
 When the television was turned off, and Saber went to wash, Elisa took advantage of that
moment to ask a question that surprised the boy:
“Do you have any relatives still alive, Alessandro?”
Time had stopped. He looked at Elisa's questioning expression and wondered the reason for that
question. Did she know something? Had she perhaps learned of the encounter he had with Yukiko
Kumahira? If it was a ‘yes’, how had she done it? Maybe the Coven was keeping an eye on him
without his knowledge? And if she knew, why ask him the question? Maybe it was a test? Or did
she not know and it was just a question asked just to talk?
He answered the girl's question, trying to suppress his emotions as much as possible:
“No, from what I know I have no living relatives.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“Not even a sister?”
She knew something. He immediately replied, “I have no sister.”
She walked over and, in a low voice, she said:
“You have a sister, Alessandro.”
“No, I have no sister. I know it.”
She moved a little closer and murmured in an inquisitive tone:
“Did you know that you have a sister who is from Japan?”
“As I said: I have no sister. I don't know what you’re talking about.” He was sweating, but he
was determined to keep the secret.
“Her name is Yukiko. Yukiko Kumahira.”
“I know that name, but she’s not—”
“Apparently she’s your father's adopted daughter. This makes her your stepsister, or not?”
“Maybe, but these are just guesses.”
Elisa moved a little closer. She was at least ten paces from Alessandro.
“Some men say they saw a person very similar to you with a windbreaker and a hat. This person
met Yukiko Kumahira and talked to her. This person had a very similar mana level to yours.”
“I see...”
“Have you nothing to say, Alessandro?”
“Did they tell you how many Magic Circuits this person had?” He was looking for a way to
escape danger.
“A number identical to the ones you own. A strange coincidence, right?”
Alessandro's brain worked like never before. He had to find a way not to get in trouble; the
Coven didn’t have to know of his relationship with Yukiko otherwise he would’ve been accused of
treason—but why ask? That question broke the current of terror. Why was Elisa asking those
questions? If the Coven knew everything there was no need to ask, unless those questions were
nothing more than ways to force Alessandro to confess. But why force him to confess if they
already knew everything? The only plausible answer: the Coven didn’t know. Maybe the Coven
knew that Alessandro's father had been to Japan, but they couldn't know about Yukiko—and the girl
had proved very intelligent and therefore it was hard to believe that she had left any traces for the
Coven—most likely they didn't even know Yukiko's face. They probably knew of a daughter
adopted by Alessandro's father and had ventured the hypothesis that she was involved in the Holy
Grail War, but they probably had no proof.
Then there was the matter of magical energy. Yukiko didn’t emanate magical energy and this
would surely have raised questions among the members of the Coven. They knew that Alessandro
had met a girl, but he had not met a magus; only a magus could be an overseer. So Alessandro
couldn't say he met the overseer Veronica Drakenberg, they wouldn't believe him.
Elisa knew nothing. The Coven knew nothing. They were just picking up guesses left and right
and putting them together to try and frame Alessandro Serpi.

71
 The ball was in his hands. Now it was his turn to find a credible lie. The best lie was the one
mixed with the truth.
“Yes, I met someone,” he said. “But she wasn't a sister of mine or anything like that, she was a
girl I first met upon arriving in London. She was my guide and I wanted to meet her to thank her
and to spend some time with her. That’s all.”
Elisa raised her eyebrows but didn’t let go of the bone.
“And why did you get dressed up?”
“In order not to be recognized by the other Masters, of course.”
“But they might have recognized your magical energy.”
“Maybe, but it didn't happen because I was smart enough to meet the girl away from a possible
battlefield, and especially during the day.”
“How do I know you're not lying to me?”
“Why should I?” He paused. “The girl I met wasn't even a magus and I bet you can verify that. I
met a human who had nothing to do with the Holy Grail War.”
“Can Saber confirm this?”
Alessandro found himself again in front of a cliff. If he had said ‘no’, it would’ve raised several
suspicions and the lie would’ve been exposed; but saying ‘yes’ would’ve meant betting on a Saber
that knew nothing and that could tell the truth. Alessandro didn’t have time to process everything
that Saber was already in the living room wearing a white sleepshirt. Elisa stopped Saber and asked
her the fateful question:
“Did you know about the human girl who guided you around the city of London?”
It was over. Alessandro was sweating cold and could barely stand up. Saber didn’t answer the
question immediately and, after a few seconds of silence, placed her hand on Elisa's shoulder and
said:
“Before we talk about these things, could you say how you find this? I mean, I like it but maybe
it's not suitable for sleeping...”
“Uh? Um...” Elisa lost her concentration. “Well... I think it fits you perfectly... but do you mind
talking about it later? I would like to... know something important first.”
“Fine. Why don't we make ourselves comfortable? I don't like standing up” she said smiling.
“Sure...”
Just as Elisa was walking towards the sofa, Saber glanced quickly at Alessandro and then sat
down.
“So what do you want to know?”
“Yes, um... did you know about the human girl who guided you around the city of London?”
“Yes, of course,” she answered immediately and calmly.
Alessandro raised his head. He couldn't believe it. It was a miracle.
“Did you also know that Alessandro had met her?”
“Yes, of course I knew, but I hadn't followed him for strategic reasons. We didn't want to be
attacked by a Servant.”
Alessandro was speechless. Saber was lying without problems and above all without knowing
what was going on.
“Do you know the name of this girl?” Elisa asked.
“Why do you care? Won't you tell me you're going to investigate a guy's love affairs? Come on!
She’s just a very ordinary girl that he dates for fun” she exclaimed laughing. “Would you like it if I
started investigating the guy you like?”
“No, but... that’s not the poin—”
“Listen to me, you don't have to worry, it's just his personal enjoyment, but he can stop if you
want.”
Elisa didn't say another word. Saber's words were quick, incisive, and also spoken with utmost
clarity. Elisa got up and, after throwing an annoyed look at Alessandro, went to the bathroom. Saber

72
winked at Alessandro and he, approaching her, thanked her in a low voice. She whispered directly
into his ear:
“You'll have to give me a couple of explanations later, Comrade.” She kissed him on the cheek
and watched television.
Alessandro didn’t know what to say, he was immensely grateful to Saber for having helped him.
Thanks to her, the problem of the Coven was temporarily put aside.

“Something big is happening.”

These were the first words that Clovis spoke to Caster. The two were in a dimly lit room which
looked like an old garage. It was a perfect hiding place. Clovis didn't want to be found by the
police, he knew they would recognize him and arrest him. Caster asked his Master:
“What you mean?”
“That boy I met on the train, the one that was under that girl's control...”
“Ah, the magus girl,” Caster exclaimed, snapping his fingers.
“She isn’t a magus, this is the point. That girl is too powerful to be a simple magus. She could be
what we call: True Magician.”
“Mm? Do you think she knows High Magic?”
“Probably.” He paused for a moment. “Indestructibility is not possible to obtain through Low
Magic, or Magecraft. Think of the great heroes of the past like Achilles, those like him existed at a
time when High Magic was present in enormous quantities and in every human culture.”
“The Age of Gods,” Caster said with a hint of elation.
“Yes, that one. A time when gods and humans shared this world, a time when the strangest
creatures inhabited forests, deserts, mountains, oceans and glaciers. A time that ended in the year
zero. With the end of the Age of Gods, High Magic disappeared from the world and humanity
moved closer to Lower Magic.”
“So you think Yukiko is using a magic linked to the Age of Gods?”
“Yes, that’s what I think, but it’s only a theory.”
“What if it's true?”
“If I'm right, then I have a problem. I have no idea how strong a True Magician can be, and I'm
certainly not going to risk it. Maybe that Coven magus can fight that girl for me, if they killed each
other it would be a real stroke of luck.”
Caster doubted about Clovis's strategy, but preferred not to say anything. However he asked:
“What's our next move, Master?”
“I must prevent the Holy Grail from being destroyed,” Clovis said in a nervous voice.
“You’re wise if you wish to protect the Holy Grail, but you’re a fool if you expose yourself too
much to do so. You want to eliminate that man who works in the Clock Tower, right?”
“Yes. That man, Bradley Jenkins, is a problem.”
“Killing him will cause chaos and temporarily save the Holy Grail... but we must avoid doing it
ourselves.”
“I’m open to every suggestion, Caster,” Clovis said with a frown.
“God is with us, Master, and showed us a path that we have not yet noticed. This path is the one
we must take.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The former T6 agent. The Master of Lancer. He’s a Master, yes, but he was also a killer who
worked for money. We can use him to accomplish our goal. He will kill Bradley Jenkins for us. I
don't think that man will resist the smell of money, perhaps your organization can buy him.”
“Not directly, the Rote Mäntel would never harm the Mage's Association, technically we’re
allies. I'll be the one to pay Tetsuya, I'll get the money from the organization with an excuse. But I
will also have to keep my identity hidden, I don't want that man to use it against me.”
“A good plan, don't you think?”
“Yeah... sounds like a very good plan. You had a great idea, Caster.”

73
 “The pleasure is mine, Master.”
Clovis knew that what he was doing was morally wrong but he didn't care. He wanted to win the
Holy Grail War at all costs. To save his daughter's life, Clovis would’ve burned even the whole of
London.

Harumi was walking alone at the intersection of the Piccadilly Circus. She stopped to see the
immense illuminated signs that lit up the intersection like a colorful sun. The girl needed a break,
after what had happened in Regent's Park she was starting to doubt her abilities.
“Harumi?”
The girl immediately recognized that male voice. She turned and when she saw that skinny boy
her age, she was shocked.
“Yusuke?”
A classmate of hers, she had known him since they went to kindergarten and was the last person
she wanted to meet in a Holy Grail War. She didn't perceive magical energy from him, so he wasn't
a Master, but that didn't mean he couldn't have been involved in some way.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m on vacation with my parents. But you—what are you doing here?”
He came over to hug her but she distanced herself from him and shook her head slightly.
“Harumi, what’s going on? I was worried about you. Your uncle is worried about you. Why did
you run away from home? Why are you here?”
“I don’t— listen, this is complicated, alright? Let's pretend we haven't seen each other.”
“What?! No! What are you saying?!” he exclaimed. “Why do you say these things? We’re
friends, I’ve a right to know if there’s something wrong. I can help you, Harumi.”
“No, you can’t” she said in a low voice. “There are things friends can't do. This is one of them.”
The girl turned her back to Yusuke and left, but he decided to follow her. Yusuke knew it was
wrong to stalk his friend, but he was sure there was something different about her. He had known
her for over ten years and Harumi had always been joyful, smiling and also kind; that girl was
completely different. She wasn't the same Harumi. He wanted to know why and he feared that she
had gotten herself into trouble.
The girl went into an alley. Yusuke followed her. The girl stopped and when she realized she
was being followed her eyes widened in terror.
“Why are you here?”
“I have to know. What’s happening?”
“There is nothing to know. Nothing!” she screamed.
He had never heard her scream like that. She was really scared of something, this did nothing but
fuel Yusuke's protective instinct.
“Harumi, what's going on? I know that something is happening that you don't want to tell me, I
don't know why, but I know that there’s something.” He walked over and she started backing away.
“You're not the same Harumi, I know it and you know it too. Tell me what's going on, tell me what
made you run away from home and... tell me why you're here alone.”
Harumi was shaking. Yusuke then asked her, worried, “What happened to you, Harumi?”
“Even if I told you, it wouldn't make any difference. What happened happened. The past cannot
be changed—”
“But I can't let you ruin your future,” he said gravely. “You’re young and you have your whole
life ahead of you. I don't know what you’re doing, but I know that you’re not happy and therefore I
want to help you.”
Yusuke took Harumi by the arms and asked her again, in a more agitated tone:
“What happened? Why did you run away from home?”
Harumi's eyes were getting wet; her cheeks were crossed by heavy tears; the girl trembled and
sobbed. Yusuke had sensed that something really horrible had happened and then, using his
imagination, he hypothesized what could be so serious as to force his friend to escape.

74
 With a trembling, uneasy voice, the boy asked:
“Did... your uncle... do something to you?”
The girl closed her eyes to avoid Yusuke's gaze and turned away, as if to defend herself.
“It doesn’t matter...” she said in a weak voice.
“It does!” he screamed. “You’re the most important person in my life and you left without
saying anything to anyone! Do you realize how hard it was for me to know that you were gone?
Fuck! I was afraid you were dead! I want to help you, Harumi! I’m on your side and I will always
be, but there’s nothing I can do unless you tell me what’s going on!”
Harumi was about to say everything, but something stopped her words; fear ran down her back
and froze her bones. She was sensing a magus and was behind her. She knew who he was. Yusuke
raised his head and saw Murakawa Tetsuya; he looked at Harumi and saw her shake her head
agitatedly. Yusuke recklessly threatened that man:
“Who are you, son of a bitch? What did you do to Harumi?!”
Tetsuya lit a cigarette and, looking at that boy as one might contemplate an ant, replied:
“What did I do to her? What am I going to do to her, you meant.”
“What?!”
Yusuke got angry and, dodging Harumi abruptly, came face to face with Tetsuya. The girl
prepared to use a Magecraft to protect Yusuke.
“I don't know who you are, son of a bitch, but you better leave Harumi alone.”
Tetsuya smoked in Yusuke's face and said, “Force me.”
Yusuke clenched his fist, ready to strike, but Tetsuya's kick was lightning fast. Yusuke flew
against a parked car and passed out. Harumi, shocked, ran to her friend to help him. Tetsuya,
without any hurry, followed her with his hands in his pockets.
“Just a suggestion, little girl: if you want to pretend you're a damsel in distress, choose a prince
who can at least pull a dimension full of swords out of his ass, otherwise it's like you're sending a
pig to the slaughter.”
Harumi joined Yusuke and breathed a sigh of relief when she learned that his injuries weren’t
serious; but now there was Murakawa Tetsuya approaching.
“So,” Tetsuya said “Miss ‘damsel in distress’, how about quitting pretending and fighting
seriously? Unless you want to use that loser's body as a human shield, I doubt he'll still be of use to
you.”
Harumi was ready to fight. At that moment a cellphone rang. It was that of Tetsuya. The man
answered the call with an annoyed manner:
“Hello? Who's talking? Yes, I'm Murakawa Tetsuya, what the fuck do you want? No, I don't
work for that fucking organization anymore. Yeah, listen, buddy, I'm pretty busy right now, can't
we postpone it? I don't mean to be rude but— wait! Do you want to pay me so much? Are you
kidding me?! To kill a single asshole? No shit! I’ve no problem! If that's all right with you, then it's
good for me too! Yeah! Later!” Tetsuya put the phone away and saw Archer arrive. “And here
comes the knight. Well you're lucky, you won't die tonight.”
Tetsuya quietly left, as if nothing had happened. Archer came and nocked an arrow, but Harumi
forbade him to attack him and asked him to help her get Yusuke to the hospital. He, somewhat
reluctantly, obeyed.

Fukano Harumi was outside the hospital where her friend Yusuke was hospitalized. The girl had
already called the parents of his, who had rushed in immediately. Only two hours had passed since
Tetsuya's attack. The girl felt guilty for endangering her best friend. She didn't have the courage to
see him.
A bad twist of fate; the chances of meeting Yusuke in London were very few, almost nil, and it
had happened... Harumi would’ve laughed if she hadn't been so sad. Fighting other Masters was
acceptable, but involving friends like Yusuke was another story... the girl couldn’t imagine a worst

75
case scenario, even her own hypothetical death was less terrible than the harm she had caused to her
friend.
Harumi summoned a magical circle and used it to jump over a roof. Archer joined the girl and
said:
“Your friend will recover, but you need to be more careful. You have to protect yourself.”
“I know,” she said in a guilty voice.
“How did this happen?”
“I don’t know. I just wanted to take a walk outside and... I found him in front of me. I didn't look
for him and he didn't even know I was here. A coincidence. That’s all.”
“I see... you have to be more careful, princess. You don't know what might happen in this war.”
“I know, you're right.” Harumi turned to Archer and asked him: “What if we try to attack first?
So far we’ve used a defensive tactic, perhaps we need to change method. Perhaps this way we could
prevent being caught off guard by enemy attacks.”
“It seems like a great idea. Who would you like to attack first?”
“The Master of Lancer seems to me too dangerous, and also the Master of Saber is very strong.
Caster's Master seems to be an expert magus, and the Assassin's Master could be complicated to
manage. Only the inexperienced remains: the Master of Rider. That boy is a weak magus. Let's get
rid of him first.”
“As you wish, princess,” Archer said, with a bow.

Meanwhile, several miles from the hospital, in a parking lot, Tetsuya Murakawa anxiously
waited for his payment to arrive. Lancer, near him, asked curiously:
“Why are you doing it? Is the Holy Grail no more important?”
“Yes, yes, but I've never been a lover of dusty relics... money is more useful.”
“So is it just for the money you kill?”
“See? It's not complicated. It's all about the money.” Tetsuya heard the sound of an engine.
“Take cover, Lancer, someone is coming.”
A red car came and stopped in front of Tetsuya. A call started. The man replied:
“Moshi moshi,9 motherfucker?”
The modified heavy voice spoke:
“Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?”
“At least I don't hide behind a modifier.”
“Tch! As was agreed you will have half the payment now and half at job done.”
“A classic. I don’t have any problem.”
A car door opened and a black suitcase was thrown out. The vehicle left immediately. Tetsuya
asked:
“Do you have problems showing your face?”
“Do your job and don't ask too many questions.”
“Yeah, fine, whatever.”
Tetsuya opened the suitcase and saw the banknotes arranged in order. He closed the suitcase and
picked it up then asked:
“So I have to kill Bradley Jenkins?”
“Exactly. Kill him and you will be paid. I hope I’ve been clear.”
“As clear as the sun.”
“Then do your job.”
The call ended. Tetsuya put the phone in his pocket. He took a moment to enjoy a cigarette.
Lancer appeared and asked Tetsuya about the assignment:
“So... will you do what he told you?”
“Obviously, I'm not going to miss out on such an opportunity.”

9
I don’t know so much about Japanese but I think that ‘moshi moshi’ in hiragana is ‘ もしもし’.

76
 “People like you are the reason the world is a terrible place,” she said disgusted by Tetsuya's
greed.
“Maybe, but I don't care. I wipe my ass with the world and its morals. What matters is that I
collect my reward” he exclaimed in a proud tone.

It was night. Alessandro Serpi and Saber prepared for battle. He had told everything to the girl
and she had criticized him for choosing to meet Yukiko alone; luckily they didn’t quarrel.
Alessandro, however, promised Saber that he would make her forgive him. That night he planned to
give Saber a good fight and give himself the answers he was looking for. He had no intention of
stalling anymore, it was time to act.
Alessandro opened the door and went out first, followed by Saber. Once they left the hotel, they
headed for Regent's Park. Saber had noticed that her Master was rather silent; his gaze was dark and
thoughtful and his steps were as heavy as that of a man who was preparing to do something
decisive. The girl had realized that Alessandro had in mind to do something really big.
The two, from Regent's Park, took a road that led them to a hotel that overlooked the park: Yukiko
was staying in that hotel. Alessandro stopped a few steps from the entrance and said to Saber:
“I'll save mana for you. You have my permission to use your Noble Phantasm if you have to.”
“So are we serious tonight?”
“Tonight, we deal with the overseer.”
“Mm, I thought it was against the rules.”
“There are no more rules now. Are you ready, Saber?”
She nodded. Alessandro looked at the main door, snapped his fingers and said:
“Adversarium Ferio.”
A powerful magical push unhinged the doors and sent them flying into the center of the atrium.
The men in the lobby got up and took out firearms. Saber prepared to attack them but Alessando
stopped her and said:
“Save energy, Saber. Leave them to me.”
“Are you sure, Comrade?” She asked worried.
“Look, they’ll die like flies.”
Alessandro approached the armed homunculi. They pointed their weapons. Alessandro snapped
his fingers and said:
“Defendere.”
The homunculi fired but the bullets were blocked by the magic shield that defended the boy.
Once the enemies ran out of bullets, Alessandro snapped his fingers again and said:
“Diffundit.”
The magic shield also set in front of Saber. The girl realized that Alessandro wanted to protect
her from something, but she didn't know what. The boy closed both arms and then quickly opened
them, exclaiming:
“Sanguis Ignis!”
At that moment the homunculi began to suffer, shaking and collapsing to the ground in the throes
of excruciating pain. Smoke came from their bodies and their skin was slowly charring; then,
without warning, they all exploded together. More than being devastating, the explosion was
macabre. The magic shield deactivated. The air was impregnated with the smell of burnt meat and
sulfur. The walls were stained red and the limbs of the homunculi decorated the floor. Saber was
both surprised and frightened by the immense power of Alessandro Serpi.
The two got into the elevator and reached the top floor, where Yukiko's room was. As soon as
Alessandro approached the door he was grabbed by the arm.
“Look out!” Saber exclaimed.
The apartment door was smashed with a kick: that was Rider. The two girls began to fight each
other but the first thing that Alessandro noticed was that Saber seemed already at a distinct
disadvantage compared to Rider. Saber's movements were slower than her opponent's and she was

77
unable to dodge attacks; Saber's extremely defensive tactics worried Alessandro. It was as if she
had lost the skills she had demonstrated when she fought against Lancer.
“What's the matter with you?” he asked. “Why don't you attack?”
“I'm sorry, Comrade! But... this battle is going to be a bit complicated for me.”
Alessandro needed only to look at Rider's armor to understand what Saber's problem was. But
there was nothing he could do about it, at least not yet.
Rider was much faster than Saber and managed to break through his defense. Saber was injured.
Alessandro intended to use a Command Seal to upgrade Saber, but at that moment he saw Yukiko
leaving the room. The young girl, with a pleased smile, said:
“You've come to me, then. I'm glad you decided to have a chat with your dear sister—”
“You’re not my sister and, more importantly, I’m not here to talk.”
“Then—”
“I'm tired of asking questions... it's time to find out who you really are.”
“I see...” Yukiko murmured, sighing. “A pity that it has to come to this.”
Alessandro snapped his fingers and exclaimed:
“Adversarium Ferio!”
Yukiko was overturned by the magical push. Alessandro saw the girl fall to the ground and get
up easily with a jump. It was as if her body hadn't felt the impact. The girl cleaned her dress and,
with a demonic smile, said:
“Jag är Oövervinnlig.” Her body glowed white for a moment. Then the girl said: “Jag är
Stark.” Her body glowed red for a brief moment.
The fact that she had just used two Magecrafts left him speechless. She walked over and hit him
with a spinning kick; Alessandro crashed into the wall. She grabbed Alessando by the throat, with
one hand, and threw him against the opposite wall, smashing it completely.
Alessandro, full of dust, tried to get up with his own strength but Yukiko hit him with a kick that
made him fly against the ceiling; the boy fell to the ground. Alessandro felt his back trembling from
the pain, he felt as if he had been hit by a speeding car. Yukiko took the boy by the hair and dragged
him in front of a glass table; she grabbed Alessandro by the shoulders and, with that superhuman
strength of hers, she threw him on the table, breaking it. Alessandro was unable to react, his body
was weakened and his muscles were blocked by the severe pain.
Yukiko, with a sad look, said to him:
“I tried to be nice to you and this is how I am thanked... again. No matter how many times we do
it, you rebel every time. But this time I won't take it easy, dear brother, because this time... I’ll
make you suffer.”
At that moment Fukano Harumi arrived unexpectedly. The girl was already looking for Sunahara
Hiro but didn’t see him; Yukiko, seeing the girl, raised a sadistic grin and said:
“I see that another lamb is here to be slaughtered.”

Meanwhile, Saber and Rider were still dueling against each other. Archer had not yet arrived.
Rider was in a clear advantage over Saber and after striking a series of slashes she made her
opponent fly to the ground with a kick; Rider leaped and prepared a final blow to behead Saber but
the latter was quick enough to dodge the blow and get back on her feet. Rider said, smiling:
“You’re tenacious, but I would’ve expected a better performance from a Saber-class Servant.”
“Don't underestimate me, Rider. I'm just a little... confused.” Saber's words were not lacking in
pride.
“Good, because I want to have some fun!”
The two warriors exchanged other attacks, but in the end Rider managed to hit Saber and made her
crash into a hotel window; Saber did an aerial somersault and landed on the vertical wall of the
building; Rider followed her. The two warriors resumed fighting outside the hotel, keeping their
balance on the vertical walls. Saber wasn't very good at fighting Rider, but she could see a pattern

78
in the opponent's fighting style. When the sword slash came, Saber nimbly dodged it and countered
with a thrust that caught Rider off guard. Rider lost her balance and fell.
As soon as the two Servants reached the street, the passers-by who saw them fled in alarm. The
two blades collided at least seven times before Rider could disarm the opponent. Without thinking
too much, Saber kicked Rider's knee, forcing the woman to bend down, and used her as a foothold
to leap and retrieve the weapon in mid-air.
“I can't fight without this,” Saber said with a hint of irony.
Rider was getting nervous because Saber showed no signs of abating. Saber had done nothing
but suffer from the start of the battle, she had been very passive and had landed three attacks at
most, yet she still had a scornful demeanor, as if she wasn't losing the fight.
“You fight with great tenacity, Saber. Can I know what your real name is?”
“Ah! Why should I tell you, Rider?”
“It's a matter of honor and respect. We’re two Heroic Spirits who are fighting to get the Holy
Grail. In this duel to the death it's customary to give one's name.”
“Honor? Excuse me, are you some kind of knight?”
“I’m a samurai. I follow the bushido teachings which teach virtues such as honor, courage and
loyalty. However, from the way you talk about it, it almost seems that you’re not a knight.”
“Ah, believe me I have nothing of the knight. When you talk about ‘bushido’, mos maiorum
comes to my mind. Personally I’ve never been a lover of these social norms that require you to
follow a stupid way of life invented by some old decrepit with the head of a twelve year old. I spit
in the face of honor because what matters is winning. History is written by the victors not by the
honorable. Those who value honor are the first to fall.”
“I'm sorry to hear that. I thought I was dealing with a warrior, but apparently you're just a
bandit.”
“Do you think I care how you label me? At the end of this war, Rider, as you tearfully embrace
your warrior codes and ways, I’ll be above you enjoying the victory.”
“No, Saber, you will never win because people like you are not meant to win.You will rot in hell
knowing that it was Ieyasu Tokugawa who sent you!” Rider raised the katana and said: “Kuge
Laws of the Commander of the Cloister
Shohatto !”
Rider's katana began to light up. Suddenly several chains, made of a blue light, emerged from the
blade and entered the different buildings through the walls. In a short time, several armed people
came out, there were a hundred. The luminous chains were attached to their chests; Rider was
controlling these people like puppets.
“Contemplate, Saber, my steed: the people! I’m the one who creates the rules and I know the
best way to live in peace. Everyone wants to be led by me!”
Saber said nothing, she didn't seem to be frightened by the mass of people who were about to
attack her. Rider couldn't stand that lack of fear, it was like a personal insult to her. As Saber raised
that fiery gaze at her, she saw the eyes of the person she had always feared: the Demon King. She
had a moment of failure, that brief hallucination made her lose concentration and, when she heard
Saber’s cutting words, she had the impression of being in Okehazama in front of the Demon King
herself:
“What's the matter, Ieyasu, can't you keep your head up in front of your enemy?”
Rider was speechless for a few moments. Her mouth took the form of a fighting smile and her
fist clenched.
“So be it...” she said in a low voice. “If I have to face Oda Nobunaga again... so be it!”

CHAPTER 9

79
 Archer was holding Harumi and was jumping from roof to roof. The two were heading to the
hotel where Rider's Master was staying. Harumi told Archer:
“We must win this battle at any cost. Are you ready, Archer?”
“I'm always ready, princess.”
The two stopped on the roof of a building opposite the hotel. Harumi got out of her Servant's
arms and prepared to get off the roof but at that moment she was stopped by Archer who asked her,
intrigued:
“How are you? You didn't talk much during the trip.”
“Words are useless, Archer” she said with melancholy eyes. “What's the point of talking?
Nothing changes if I say how I feel or what I want, my emotions will not change the course of the
war. Only my actions matter.”
“I see... I’m sorry I asked.”
“It's not your fault, I understand you. But we mustn't lose focus.”
“You're right. So what's your plan?”
“I have to go in and face Sunahara Hiro directly, while I distract him you will have to deal with
Rider. Can you do it?”
“Of course, princess,” he answered with a thumb up.
Harumi jumped off the roof while Archer stayed on the lookout. He knew that what had
happened to Yusuke had traumatized the girl, he understood her feelings, but he feared that that
pain could blur her vision. Suffering was something really insidious, he knew it from personal
experience. Sometimes suffering is necessary for personal growth, but too much suffering can
destroy a person and make them lose the will to move forward. He didn't want Harumi to lose faith
in herself. He wanted to protect her because he knew—he was sure—that she was a strong girl and
that she possessed the tools to win the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil.
He abandoned those thoughts to observe the situation. He immediately noticed the presence of
Saber and her Master, this would’ve complicated the battle. A few minutes later he saw one of the
windows of the hotel break and he noticed that there were two Servants who were fighting on the
building: Rider and Saber. He noticed Saber's disadvantage and it caught him off guard; during the
battle against Assassin that Servant had proven to be above average and now, under his eyes, she
was struggling with the Servant of a very weak Master.
Archer saw Rider use her Noble Phantasm to control the minds of hundreds of civilians. Initially
he didn't give too much weight to the thing but as soon as he realized that Saber was incapable of
hitting them, he got scared. Saber's blade didn't deal any damage to those people, which meant
Rider's Noble Phantasm was more dangerous than it looked. There was only one way to stop that
Noble Phantasm... it was necessary to put an end to the mental control exercised by Rider.
Archer nocked an arrow and, after taking aim, shot it.

Rider stood motionless, with a victorious smile, ready to witness the fall of Saber, who was
dodging the blows of several civilians. Saber was getting nervous but he wasn't going to lose focus.
It was impossible for her to get close to Rider with a wall of a hundred people blocking her way.
Rider, in a bold tone, exclaimed:
“Surrender, Saber! The people, under the control of Tokugawa Ieyasu, always wins!”
At that moment an arrow was about to hit Rider's head but a man, under the girl's control, caught
it in flight.
Archer, on top of a building, was surprised by the efficiency of those pawns. Rider, laughing,
exclaimed:
“Did you really think my people were stupid enough to let me die? I’m the one who rules! I’m
the one who brought peace and that all the people love!”
Saber left Rider and with a leap she reached Archer; the man, seeing the girl arrive, told her:
“We have to stop that Noble Phantasm. We can't let civilians getting hurt.”
“I'm not interested in the civilians, I just want Rider's head.”

80
 “Saber, if you're thinking of hurting innocent people, I'll—”
“Yes, yes... you don't need to lecture me.”
Rider, seeing that the two rivals were together on a roof, shouted:
“Do you really think my people can't reach you? Thanks to my guidance, they can go wherever
they want!”
Rider's various slaves began to climb the building and the two Servants decided to move to
another roof. Rider, annoyed, ordered her slaves to get off and then, smiling, decided to kick one
against the foundations of the building on which Archer and Saber had settled.
The chain attached to the man's chest lit up red and Rider then exclaimed:
“If you don't want to see people explode, I advise you to get down and face me.”
Archer replied, shouting:
“You can't do that! You're staining yourself with an inhuman crime! They have nothing
to do with it!”
“Do you really care so much about their well-being, Archer? Then come down and face me
instead of crying like a little girl.”
Saber got off the roof. Rider, pretending to be impressed, exclaimed, “Finally someone who has
decided to listen to me.”
Saber turned to Rider: she wasn't scared. She knew she was surrounded by invulnerable enemies
but she wasn’t afraid; she ran towards Rider, miraculously avoiding all the blows of her enemies
and with a leap she was about to hit her enemy. Rider dodged the blow and kicked Saber into the
midst of those people who, then, surrounded her. Saber dodged a few attacks and blocked a few
more and eventually came out of the encirclement. Saber, therefore, distanced herself from that
mass of people and, resting her hand on the ground, concentrated.
Archer noticed that Magic Circuits were appearing on Saber's body. The girl was about to cast a
Magecraft and it shocked both him and Rider. Servants didn’t have Magic Circuits, even Caster-
class ones, as all their powers and abilities were part of their Servant nature. The fact that a Servant,
especially a Saber-class one, had Magic Circuits was phenomenal... but also worrying.
Saber then exclaimed:
“Scorpio!”
A piece of artillery made of wood built itself right next to her. The original weapon was medium
in size, but the one that appeared was larger. The weapon already had a huge steel bolt loaded.
Saber just waved her hand and the dart was fired at Rider. Saber certainly had a brilliant idea, but
Rider didn't stand still to let herself be hit and dodged the blow easily.
Archer took the opportunity to shoot two arrows but they were both blocked by Rider's slaves.
Any attempt to directly hurt Rider seemed to fail, which meant that the battle would be prolonged
further.
Rider, tired of continuing to move, decided to turn all her slaves into living bombs; the chains
were all a vermilion red, now. The girl sent the first two against Saber; two explosions, both as
large as those of two grenades, knocked Saber out of action. Archer, shocked by Rider's cruelty,
shouted:
“Damn you, Rider! Your cruelty will not be forgiven and God be my witness because I swear I'll
kill you tonight!”
Archer began firing multiple arrows, but each hit Rider's slaves; these exploded. The man was
shocked. It wasn't his intention to hit those people and the worst part was that Rider had no problem
using those innocents as human shields.
“What's up, Archer? Don't you hit me anymore? Are you afraid of killing my people? Well, I
guess there's nothing you can do about it—”
“Rider, you lack honor. Involving civilians in this war is a despicable act, I would’ve expected
more from a Heroic Spirit of your caliber.”
“This is where you're wrong, Archer. There’s no dishonor to fight with the people, in fact under
my leadership they are invulnerable. The fact that they explode is a causality due to your insistence.

81
I made this choice only because you forced me to make it, but I would never endanger my people
for a wrong cause.”
“Lies! Give up these slaves and face me with honor!”
“Still don't understand, Archer? I'm already fighting with honor. You think they’re under the
influence of a strange magic, right? But is not so. My Noble Phantasm acts on people's hearts and
awakens in them the need to fight for something bigger. It’s not a trivial ‘mind control’, it’s a call to
duty. They are taking up arms to follow the true motto of the samurai: fight for a noble cause or
die trying.”
“You're wrong! You're using them to fight me!”
“No, you are the one who’s wrong, I'm not forcing them. As you can imagine, Archer, this battle
is now in my hands. The only thing you can do is give up.”

Meanwhile, Saber regained consciousness. She was lying on the ground and watching the starry
sky above her. The girl could hear the sounds of a battle that seemed so distant from her; Saber was
serene with the look of a dreamer who wanted to reach the stars. How long has it been since she
devoted herself to the stars? The sky she was observing was not as clear as that of her city, but it
hadn’t lost its beauty. She had written many poems, when she was alive, about the stars and many
of these were similar to astronomical observations guided by the curiosity of the moment. She
thought of how many starry skies she had seen: Italy, Gaul, Britain, Spain, Egypt, Africa, Asia...
each land had its own constellations, each land had its own beauty. She murmured sadly:
“How many wars will I have to endure? How many people will I have to kill? Am I not worthy
for peace yet? The Elysian Fields are still so far away, will I ever be able to reunite with my
friends?” Saber sighed. “I guess someone like me isn't made for eternal peace, right? My life is
made up of violence and violence is all I can give birth to. So why am I deluding myself?”
Saber got up and took her sword from the ground.
“Time to do what I do best...”
Rider saw Saber return to the battlefield.
“Couldn't you just accept your defeat, Saber? Look around! I’m winning and you’re losing!”
Saber, with a defiant look, raised his sword and spoke these words:
“What you have been doing up to now is playing with fire... it's time to burn. If you believe that
this Noble Phantasm of yours will be enough to stop me, then you’re completely out of your mind.
Do you think I’ve trouble hurting any civilians? Oh, Rider... you have no idea who you are up
against.”
“Are you saying you don't care?”
“As I said, I am not a knight. I’ve never had honor at heart and have never had a problem
committing despicable actions to achieve my purpose. You’re faced with a Heroic Spirit who has
killed millions of people just to reach power. We are all capable of being powerful with those like
Archer, he has not known true power... but that same attitude you cannot have with me, because I
have earned my power and become one with it.”
“What?! What do you mean?!” she asked confused.
“Did you want to know who I am? Now you will find out.” Saber opened her arms and in an
eminent tone said: “The blood of kings and gods flows in my veins. I descend from Aeneas, the
Trojan hero who reached Latium Vetus, and from Romulus, the First King as well as the founder of
Rome. I have the divine blood of Venus, goddess of beauty, and of Mars, god of war. My
descendants have all been great rulers and many have emulated my deeds to gain glory. My actions
have shaped the world and my name is synonymous with power. Here! Let my legions do the
talking for me!”
Saber thrust her sword into the asphalt; the weapon lit up and generated a powerful glow that
enveloped the whole city. Suddenly, all those who had taken part in the battle found themselves
catapulted into a misty land full of trees and with the sky overcast; the grass was damp and there
were several hills that extended towards the horizon.

82
 No one knew what place it was.
Rider heard the clang of armor, the neigh of horses, and the heavy sound of an approaching
march. Behind Saber appeared fifty thousand legionaries. Twelve golden eagles held twelve red
banners in their talons. There was cavalry, slingers, archers, infantrymen, war engineers and then...
the sound of a battle horn announced the arrival of another fifty thousand men, these were not
Roman legionaries; there were Germans, Gauls, Britons, Egyptians and even troops from North
Africa. All of these gathered behind Saber.
Rider was shocked. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. That army seemed boundless.
Saber said with a triumphant smile:
“Now do you understand, Rider, who am I? The army you see behind me is made up of the
twelve legions that helped me conquer Gaul, and then there are the men who allied themselves with
me and who remained faithful to me; then you can see the Egyptian troops that were given to me by
Cleopatra herself; and King Bogud's troops from Africa who helped me in the battle of Munda.”
She made a theatrical pause. “This is my army. This is the army of Gaius Julius Caesar.”
Archer recognized that name and murmured in amazement:
“The King of Tyrants...”
Saber then spoke the following words in a solemn tone:
The Lives That Made Caesar Great
“Kneel down, Rider, before my Noble Phantasm: Venus Victrix !”
The war cry of the legionaries announced the start of a one-sided massacre. When the hundred
thousand men charged against Rider and her one hundred slaves, Caesar's victory was assured.
Despite the explosions, the legionaries didn’t fall and continued to strike and advance. The
power of that Noble Phantasm was incredible.

The lands of Gaul disappeared. The Servants were back on the streets of London. Rider was
seriously injured and would surely have died in a few seconds. All those present were still amazed
by this immense show of strength. Saber had won, but Rider was still alive and when Yukiko
noticed what had happened she got very nervous.
Kumahira Yukiko had no intention of letting her Servant die. She used a Command Seal to order
the Servant:
“You will not die, Rider. You will fight with all your strength to survive.”
Rider, forced by the order, got up again. The magical energy of Yukiko was already healing,
slowly, the wounds of the Servant but there was something in the expression of Rider which
suggested a lack of willpower. Rider was no longer going to fight. She had been defeated and found
an honorable death more desirable than a long battle. The Servant, however, couldn’t disobey
Yukiko; she was forced to follow her orders and sadly approached Saber. A hint of resistance
prompted Yukiko to use another Command Seal:
“Rider, I order you to kill Saber!”
Rider, even if she didn't want to, had to point her sword at her opponent.
“Caesar... you’ve proven to be powerful, you’re a really fearsome rival... however, even if I
don’t wish to continue this battle I’m forced to do so. So I have to ask you a favor...”
Saber was confused and asked her:
“A favor? Do you want me to do you a favor? Why?”
“You may not believe in honor, but I believe you can respect your rival. Out of that respect, I ask
you not to let me die as a slave... but as a warrior. My life, Caesar, has been dedicated to war and
the conquest of power... I’ve tried to do everything possible to bring peace to my land... I killed, I
betrayed, I’ve built, I’ve destroyed... I'm not innocent and I'm not perfect, but I've always wanted to
be. I’ve always wanted to follow the bushido doctrine perfectly without ever hesitating... and I’ve
often hesitated. But not tonight.” A flame lit up in her eyes. “I want to die, Caesar. I want to die as
a real warrior, not as a slave of a psychopath.”
Saber drew her sword from the asphalt. She wasn't convinced of her rival's strange request, but it
was enough for her to look into her eyes to understand that she was sincere.

83
 “So be it, Ieyasu. Rejoice, I, Caesar, will give you the death you deserve. The death of a
warrior.”
Rider, with tears in her eyes, smiled and ran to Saber. The swords of the warriors collided
several times, Saber noticed that the opponent was leaving several openings on purpose; the girl
deflected an attack of Rider and then pierced her heart. The battle ended.
Rider, leaning on Saber, murmured to her, after spitting blood:
“Here it is... now, finally, I will die... like a... samurai...”
Rider disappeared.

Rider's death left Archer and Saber alone. The two Servants exchanged defiant looks and
combative smiles. One battle had ended, but another had to begin. Archer immediately nocked an
arrow and fired it. Saber deflected the attack with the blade.
Neither of them said anything.
Saber tried to hit Archer, but Archer jumped off and shot more arrows; one managed to hurt the
girl. The man realized he had found a weak point and shot another arrow still directed at the girl's
left side; Saber dodged the attack.
“Not bad,” Archer said.
“I'm glad you decided to fight, I was afraid you would run away after seeing my Noble
Phantasm.”
“Summoning soldiers is nothing strange, Saber. I'm surprised you have Magic Circuits, Servants
shouldn't have them.”
“I come from the Age of Gods, Archer, in the Urbe there were ancient families that descended
from divinities and therefore it was easy to meet a noble who possessed a form of High Magic. I
also possessed a form of High Magic... and when I became a Servant, the Holy Grail must have
turned that my power into a set of Magic Circuits.”
“So are you a magus?”
“No. I have a certain skill that forces me to use Magic Circuits only to summon Roman artillery
and fortresses. So you'll never see me breathe fire out of my mouth, even though I wish I could.”
“A real problem, isn't it? You're a half magus, basically.”
“Sort of” she said ironically.
“So, Caesar, how about a good fight?”
“Well, I have no problems with—”
Archer immediately fired an arrow. Saber managed to dodge it luckily, otherwise she would’ve
been hit in the head.
“Ok...” she sighed. “The Senate all over again... they never let me speak.”

While the two Servants were fighting, Alessandro Serpi had hidden from Yukiko and took the
opportunity to heal his wounds. The boy snapped his fingers and said:
“Vulnera Sano.”
Alessandro got to his feet and headed for the battle that was taking place between Yukiko and
Harumi, but was distracted by the sound of the sirens. He was on the upper floors of the hotel and
saw police cars arrive; the men got out of the vehicles and pointed their weapons at the Servants.
Alessandro didn’t want to harm those people and above all he didn’t want Saber to do anything to
them, but he had to prevent them from interfering. Alessandro was still thinking of a way to deal
with them when he saw Yukiko jump out of a window and carry out a massacre. That girl, with the
same ferocity of a beast, killed men and women without any hesitation; Alessandro almost vomited
at the sight of that violence. He saw Yukiko tearing the hearts out of these people's chests, he saw
her tear off heads and crush skulls with unheard of sadism. Yukiko didn’t attach any value to human
life. For her, killing those people was like swatting ants in the garden.
Alessandro, however, decided to use that moment to find Harumi and help her. He saw that
practically all the walls had been smashed and that there were only rubble, and jets of water coming

84
out of split pipes. Harumi was leaning against a wall, badly injured in her right shoulder and left
leg; the girl was panting painfully; Alessandro approached her and said:
“You shouldn't have participated in this war.”
“Maybe... you’re right... but I don’t regret this decision... I will continue to fight and I will not
run away like you did...”
“I'm just smarter than you. That girl, Yukiko, is a monster. You can't deal with her as if she were
just any magus.”
“He's right, you know?” It was Yukiko's voice.
Alessandro turned and saw the girl, soaked in blood, approaching with that demonic smile on her
lips. He stood in front of Harumi, as if to protect her, and looked Yukiko.
“I saw what you did. You're a monster.”
“I did what needed to be done, dear brother. I told you before: the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil needs
blood. I am giving it blood. That's all.”
“Do you think this justifies what you’re doing? No. You're just a crazy bitch who has no respect
for human life.”
“Well, at least I don't pretend that I care.”
“I care—”
“Oh, please spare me the humanitarian lecture. You’ve never been a philanthropist. You never
cared about people or love. You’ve always been a lonely person who has always avoided friendship
and companionship in general. You’ve never truly appreciated people and humanity. You lived as a
recluse either in your mother's house or in a church and, as if that weren't enough, you don't protect
people out of love or humanity, but because you feel guilty. You feel guilty about your natural
contempt for society. So don't lecture me, because you're the last person who can do it.”
He couldn't say anything. The girl was right.
“So,” she said “now you and I have a chat in private.”
Yukiko hit Alessandro in the stomach and kicked him in the face; the boy fell into a pile of
rubble. The girl grabbed him by the leg and dragged him to the elevator; he tried to break free but
was thrown against the metal door. The girl opened the doors and threw Alessandro into the
elevator. He, on the ground and stunned, tried to get up but was kicked in the face once, twice, three
times. He lost his strength.
The girl clicked a button and the elevator began to descend, so she sat on top of Alessandro and
caught his attention by grabbing him by the hair.
“So, sweetie, what about Saber? You understand who she is, right? The legendary Gaius Julius
Caesar. I want her.”
“Go... to hell” he said faintly.
“You know, I really thought Rider could kill her, but apparently she really is stronger than an
average Servant. We have to be honest though, such a Servant, in your hands, is wasted. She needs
a Master a slightly less... pathetic.”
“You'll... never have... Saber...”
“Yeah, I knew you would say that. Well, good for me.”
The elevator stopped. Yukiko got up and took Alessandro by the leg, dragged him to the lobby
and then threw him against the reception table. Alessandro tried to recover but the girl was faster
than him; she grabbed him by the head and started to slam him several times against the wood and,
with a kick, she threw him on the floor. The boy could no longer stand up.
“We can go on like this all night!” she exclaimed enthusiastically.
Alessandro snapped his fingers and murmured:
“Adversarium Ferio.”
Nothing happened to Yukiko. Alessandro, shocked, had no idea how this was possible. He tried
to escape but the girl had already reached him.
“You really are a bad brother, but you will redeem yourself by giving me Saber.”

85
 Yukiko grabbed Alessandro by the throat and lifted him off the ground. The girl prepared to use
the Magecraft to wrest the Contract he had made with Saber.
“Caesar, help me!” he shouted.
A Command Seal disappeared and at that moment Saber came and hit Yukiko with a slash that
cut off her right arm. Alessandro was freed and Saber pushed him away from the girl. When he
looked up, he didn't want to believe his eyes: Yukiko didn't lose blood. She wasn’t human and not
even a homunculus.
“What... are you?” he asked shocked.
“Well, that was... unexpected. It had never happened before.” She didn't even seem to be upset
for the fact that she just lost an arm. It was as if she was in no pain. “A real shame, I wanted to keep
it hidden and instead... well, forget about Saber, now I'm tired of playing.”
The girl snapped her fingers. The floor beneath Saber's feet broke and another Servant came out.
This Heroic Spirit had a female body covered with a charcoal black armor and a battle skirt, similar
to that of a princess. The warrior had a helmet that resembled the head of a dragon and the whole
armor was full of scales. Alessandro murmured, shocked:
“Berserker.”
This warrior carried a sword with her, but she didn’t use it to fight; she punched Saber. Saber
flew out of the building but fell on her feet. Berserker came out of the hotel and punched the
ground; the asphalt began to shake and veins of the same color as the fire opened. Jets of flame shot
out of the concrete and Saber had to move constantly to avoid getting hit; it was as if Berserker had
opened the gates of hell. Saber tried to close the distance between her and her opponent, but it was
hard not to get hit by the fire.
“I know you...” Saber murmured. “You have something that reminds me... of Rome.”
Berserker, with a very fast sprint, managed to close the distance between her and Saber and
threw a punch that broke a part of the opponent's armor. Saber fell to the ground and didn’t recover
fast enough; Berserker was already behind her, ready to launch the second attack. Saber dodged and
quickly counterattacked. Berserker stopped the blade, grabbed Saber's arm and threw the girl
against the hotel wall. Saber nimbly used her feet to press the wall and launch herself at the
Berserker. Saber's blade and Berserker's fist collided once more. Neither of them won that
confrontation.
Meanwhile, Archer caught up with Harumi and brought her to safety. They both understood that
it was useless to continue the battle and that the only thing to do was to withdraw.

Saber and Berserker were face to face. Alessandro Serpi was extremely worried about the battle,
he had never seen a Heroic Spirit as tenacious as Berserker. Saber was already in position to hit her
opponent once more when, without warning, a Magecraft was cast between the two Servants; a
curtain of smoke raised.
Berserker took advantage of the situation to escape with Yukiko. Alessandro prepared to fight
but saw a man dressed in a very elegant way, he was the magus who used the Magecraft: Bradley
Jenkins. Together with him there were six other magi and all of them were part of the Mage's
Association. Bradley, in a severe tone, thundered:
“You and your war have destroyed our city and involved civilians! You will have to answer for
your actions!”
Alessandro, suspicious, asked:
“Since when does the Mage's Association care about civilian casualties? Do you really care
about these victims?”
“You have no right to speak, magus of the Coven. Now you and your Servant will follow us
without making a fuss or you will die here.”
“What do you want to do to me?” he was scared.
“Follow us and don't protest” he ordered in an authoritative tone.

86
 Alessandro Serpi didn’t know what would happen to him and feared for the worst, but he had no
intention of fighting against all those magi. He was good, yes, but he wasn't good enough to take
them all alone. He realized it would be smarter to accept the situation and give up.
Alessandro Serpi surrendered.

That same night, Alessandro was led by Bradley down the corridors of the Clock Tower to the
man's office. The boy had his hands bound by a Magecraft that would’ve prevented him from using
his Magic Circuits. Bradley sat behind the desk and said, in a slightly more calm voice:
“Sit down.”
Alessandro sat on a chair in front of Bradley’s desk. The boy was visibly worried about what
was going to happen. Bradley said:
“You can tell your Servant to appear.”
“Saber.”
Saber appeared behind Alessandro, the girl was nervous and seemed to be about to attack the
man. Bradley, seeing her gaze, reassured her:
“I won't hurt you, but I can't let your actions go unpunished. All magi organizations in the world
have always been in agreement in hiding Magecraft from the world. For this the Treaty of
Alexandria was signed, to prevent wars between organizations and to prevent the world from
discovering the truth about magic. The Treaty, with its two hundred and forty-two laws divided into
two codices, serves to prevent what you did tonight.” He paused. “There are currently thirteen magi
organizations in the world, all of which are bound by the Treaty of Alexandria and have agreed to
obey the International Ministry of Magic and its Assembly. In the eyes of powers like the United
States and China, we could be a threat. The biggest ever faced. That’s why it’s necessary to keep
the secret. And tonight you committed the most stupid act possible: you put the secret at risk.”
“It wasn't our intention.”
“Your intentions don't really matter, do they? Hundreds of people died because of you tonight.
Do you understand? Do you understand what this means?”
“Yes, I know but—”
“Blame Rider,” Saber said. “Her Noble Phantasm involved those hundred civilians. If I had
known I wouldn’t have faced her in a town.”
“Why did you attack that hotel?” asked Bradley to Alessandro.
“There were no people in there, but homunculi.”
“But you knew the risks.”
“I didn't know Yuki— that that girl would commit a massacre.”
“The overseer...” he said thoughtfully. “That's another thing that left me stunned.”
“What do you mean?”
“The overseer of a Holy Grail War cannot be someone who is not part of one of the
organizations that are part of the Assembly. When she showed up at the Clock Tower and proposed
herself as an overseer, she presented the credentials of a member of the Frosty Brotherhood.”
“Sweden...” Alessandro remembered that the magic formulas used by Yukiko were in Swedish.
“Yes. At first they confirmed the presence of a member by the name of Veronica Drakenberg,
but then, after a couple of investigations, I found out that there are a couple of things that don't
make sense.”
“For example?”
“She has no family in Sweden. She has a Swedish surname, but she has no family there. I kept
digging and digging... and I found out that this girl is not even European but Japanese. Her real
name is Yukiko Kumahira, not Veronica Drakenberg, but that's not all. Apparently she has never
officially entered the Frosty Brotherhood, but she is a magus of high rank...”
“Did she fake something?”
“No, that's the point. Everything is in order. How? I don't know, but she’s part of that
organization even though no one knows her or has ever seen her. But on paper she’s part of the

87
Frosty Brotherhood. I’m not joking when I say that this has never happened before. This person has
not infiltrated the organization, this person is registered, all her documents are in order, there’s
nothing illegal... and yet...
“It’s almost paradoxical,” Alessandro commented. “De iure she’s part of the Frosty Brotherhood,
but de facto she’s not.”
“And I asked myself: how was this possible?”
“Maybe with magic?” Saber suggested.
“If it were that simple, our organizations would be full of fake members.”
“Wait,” Alessandro said. “But she has no magical energy. How did you not notice when she
made the declaration of war?”
“Because these things are not done in person,” Bradley answered.
“Okay, but it seems to me that you have already come to the conclusion that this war is
dangerous because a psycho is handling it all. All this doesn’t make sense. Just end the war.”
“If only it were that simple... the Coven, the Rote Mäntel and the Order of the Blessed, they see
in this war the possibility of obtaining a relic they have always wanted. The Clock Tower cannot
end the war overnight; there must be the consent of the Assembly. But even here, among us, there
are disagreements. There are magi who wish to exterminate humans and re-establish a new
civilization, their ideas are ancient but still have consensus. I have to deal with all these people. I
will never be able to convince them before the overseer summons the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil—”
“What if we stop her first?”
“I can't let you do that.”
“Why? We can help you put an end to this carnage.”
“Maybe, I don't know... even if that's true, you're still a danger to the secret.”
“Are you afraid that the other magi may rebel if you let me live?” he asked sharply.
“Yes. Yes, that’s true.”
“I see...”
“You may have the best of intentions, but I too must act for the greater good. I can't risk a war
between the magi... this would cause the end of the mankind.”
“Then I died,” he said. “We tell them that I’m dead.”
“What? What kind of plan do you have in mind?” The man was perplexed.
“Oh, I see!” Saber exclaimed. “You want to pretend to be dead to have more freedom of action.”
“That's the plan. I don't want to have the Coven, or Elisa, between my feet. If I can act freely I
will be able to get rid of Yukiko faster.”
“Mm...” The man thought carefully. “Yes, it might work, but you won't have to leave the Clock
Tower or the plan will fail.”
“Give me a room and some good disguises... and maybe something for magical energy. I know
there are Coven spies out and about in London, I don't want them to recognize me right away. Do
you have something that can help me?”
“Pendants, yes. They’re enchanted objects that distort the perception of mana. Those who see
you will think you have less magical energy than you actually have.”
“Good. So we have a deal.”
“Yes, we have a deal.”

CHAPTER 10

“It didn't have to go like this...”

Fukano Harumi was on the hospital bed. In her room, completely alone, she saw a sun rise
accompanied by storm clouds. She had been in the hospital all night, had rested but still felt tired
and stunned by the battle against Kumahira Yukiko.

88
 “I've got it all wrong...”
Harumi looked sad, she was about to cry:
“I couldn't kill the Master of Rider and I was defeated, humiliated. It didn't have to go like this.”
“I'm sorry, princess,” Archer said, appearing in the room.
“You don't have to apologize, Archer, it's not your fault. It’s my fault alone... only mine... I was
hoping to have the victory in hand, but instead I was put on the corner, I was defeated, I was
humiliated only because of my presumption. I...”
“Princess, you mustn’t blame yourself. You didn't do anything wrong. It was just bad luck.”
“No... it's not bad luck... it's me, I'm incapable.”
“No, it’s not true!” Archer exclaimed in a vain attempt to reason with his Master.
“Archer... I'm a failure.”
“No, you’re not. You simply did something wrong, it happens to everyone. You must not let
yourself be destroyed by your mistakes! You must react!”
“How? My best friend is still hospitalized, I'm not able to face the Masters in this war and to
make matters worse... I suck in planning. I feel like an imbecile.”
“You're not... you're not at all, believe me!”
“You have no idea how bad I feel, Archer. You don't know my sufferings, how can I trust your
words?”
“You can't” a male voice answered.
Archer and Harumi turned and saw a man who had just entered the room closing the door behind
him. This man had a very elegant suit, a jacket and black trousers. His clothing was decorated with
fine golden and silver lines. The man had a face as young as that of thirty but he had the right eye of
glass and his face had scars scattered on his nose and cheeks. The man uncovered his head and
placed his cylinder hat on a small table nearby. He introduced himself in a gentle manner:
“Viktor Augustav Stirgold.”
Harumi immediately noticed that the man's left hand was the only one that was covered by a
black glove; the girl immediately realized that the man was a magus. Viktor, seeing the suspicious
gaze of the girl, said to her, smiling:
“I don’t participate in the Holy Grail War. I'm not here to hurt anyone.”
“Why are you hiding that hand?”
“This hand is just a metal prosthesis. You see?”
Viktor began tapping the wall with the finger of his left hand and a metallic sound started.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“I work for the Mage's Association, Miss Fukano Harumi, and I'm here to talk to you, I don't
want anything else.”
“Don't say ‘miss’, I'm not an old woman” she exclaimed abruptly.
“As you wish...” Viktor said with a slight smile.
“What do you want, then?”
“The Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil is becoming a massacre involving too many civilians and
which threatens to unleash a greater conflict between the different magi organizations in the world.
The threat is real, but few Masters are doing something to limit excesses. The Lancer’s Master, for
example, has no problem damaging public property; Caster's Master literally hijacked a train to
fight Rider's Master. In addition, I would like to mention those chasms that opened in Ibaraki and
Regent's Park; last but not least, the battle in the hotel which involved a hundred civilians and about
forty police officers—”
“You're not answering my question,” noticed Harumi acutely.
“Saber's Master was captured last night and executed on suspicion of jeopardizing the secret.”
“Oh.” Harumi was shocked, she would never have expected such a turn of events.
“So, I'm here to ask you to give up your Servant and leave the Holy Grail War.”
“What?!”

89
 “By now this war is causing more victims than anything else, the conflict was only meant to
involve the Masters and their Servants, but apparently things are changing and that's not good. So
I'm here to ask you to leave the Contract.”
“Will you kill me if I don't?” she asked frightened.
“Would this help you choose?”
“I'm not that weak. My answer wouldn’t change.”
“Your friend... is in danger. Everyone in this hospital... is in danger. All of London is in
danger. The Holy Grail has the potential to destroy us all but we can react, we can prevent the
end of everything. Help us.”
“I barely know you and you expect me to do something for you? I want to win the Holy Grail
War, I don't want to help your group. Leave me alone” Harumi muttered, nervous.
“Don’t you understand? It's neither about me nor about the Clock Tower... it's about the world.
Please, Harumi, listen to me—”
“Ask someone else.”
“Harumi—”
“ENOUGH!” the girl screamed.
Viktor understood that insisting would be useless and harmful. He took his hat and, after opening
the door, murmured regretfully:
“I'm sorry.”
Viktor was disappointed with that failure, he was hoping to be able to persuade Harumi to give
up the war; that failure had demoralized him. He took out his cell phone and dialed Bradley
Jenkins's number, he wanted to let him know what had happened. After five seconds, still no
response. Seven seconds. Ten seconds. Fifteen seconds. Viktor ended the call and tried again a
second time. No reply. He was worrying. Bradley was generally always reachable.
After leaving the hospital he tried again. Same result. After a few minutes, a colleague of his
called him and Viktor answered immediately. He informed him of the problem he was having in
contacting Bradley Jenkins and it was then that he was struck by the terrible news. He felt like he
had been stabbed with a dagger, he couldn't move from the shock. From his mouth came these
trembling words:
“What... do... you mean? Bradley Jenkins... is dead?!”

It was late at night and Bradley Jenkins had just finished discussing with Alessandro Serpi. After
leaving the Clock Tower he decided to head towards his home. He walked along the streets of
London which were practically deserted since the citizens were all in bed at that time.
He headed for a bus stop and waited patiently for its arrival. Bradley had no idea that he was in
the sights of a sniper, Murakawa Tetsuya, positioned inside a long-deserted house.
Tetsuya had his finger on the trigger and was ready to kill Jenkins. The rifle had a silencer and
the viewfind was one of the best on the market, it was a sure shot.
At that moment he saw a red-haired girl arrive, Elisa Mancini, who approached Bradley Jenkins.
Tetsuya didn’t know the girl but recognized the nun robe, she was from the Coven. The young girl
started talking to the man, the two seemed to know each other. Elisa was in front of the viewfinder
and Tetsuya couldn’t properly take aim; but then, after a few minutes, the two moved away and
finally Tetsuya had a chance to shoot.
Bradley Jenkins died in an instant.

It wasn't really bad to be dead, Alessandro thought. For the first time in his entire life, he didn't
have to worry about the Coven or his mother. He didn't have Elisa around him and he could sit
quietly, lying on the bed, not thinking about a call he would’ve to make if he were still alive. No
Grand Master to give him orders and no obligation to necessarily follow the will of the Coven.
But it wasn't a vacation.

90
 Alessandro enjoyed that inner peace, but still had Yukiko Kumahira on his mind. He didn't know
how to deal with her.
In that small room, which was located under the Clock Tower, there were two beds, a small
wooden wardrobe and to go upstairs you had to go up a long staircase; yes, it was a prison, but
Alessandro didn't have too many problems. In that prison he felt freer than when he was in the
Coven.
Saber sat on the other bed flipping through a couple of magic books that had been given to her
by the only person besides Bradley who knew about them: Viktor Augustav Stirgold.
Alessandro, looking at the girl, remembered that she was in fact Gaius Julius Caesar, the famous
Roman dictator who allowed the transition of Rome from Republic to Empire. He never expected
Caesar to be a woman. He knew that around Caesar there was a strong cult of masculinity and many
great men wanted to be like Caesar, no woman thought the same way. Caesar a woman? It was
almost paradoxical. There was nothing wrong with that, but it was funny to think that such a figure
often praised for his manly nature was actually a female. Who else was a woman? Nero? Was the
legendary King Arthur a woman too? But this made him think: if Caesar was a woman... why did
the statues portray her as a man? Had she been the victim of a terrible injustice?
“Um... Saber?”
“Yes, Comrade?”
“So you are Julius Caesar, right?”
“Funny, right? You used to treat me like any other girl and now you can hardly believe that
you’re face to face with Caesar. So, how can I help you?”
“How come the statues portray you as a man?” he asked intrigued.
“I consider it a punishment... but it was the fault of a reactionary and macho mentality.”
“What do you mean?”
“For many Romans, especially the more powerful ones, it was difficult, really difficult, to see
me, a woman, rise to power. Envy spread through the Senate and led men of great importance to
defame me. The people loved me, because they knew of my divine blood, but the aristocracy hated
me because a woman, even if divine, didn’t have the right to rule over Rome.” She paused. “Plus I
wasn't a person who liked to follow customs. I, as you know, hated weddings and therefore only got
married for political reasons... but I was never faithful. In a nutshell: I fucked, a lot.”
“So much?” he asked surprised.
“Women and men from all over the world: Romans, Egyptians, Gauls, Britons, Germans,
Macedonians, Africans, Asians, even Fairies... race and sex didn't matter to me. What mattered was
the fun... and also the use, but you know that. But obviously those bigots didn't like it, because it
was horrible to have so much sex. But I knew that those men were constantly cheating on their
wives: one day it was for the slave on duty, the next day it was for some other man's wife. Adultery
in Rome was not legal but was practiced by everyone. I'm not a hypocrite, I've never been. I didn't
go around pretending to be faithful to my wife.”
“And is that why they hated you?”
“Well, that was one of the main reasons. Also because it was normal for a man to have a lot of
sex, but for a woman it was considered prostitution and it was ‘wrong’. Because a good woman
didn't have to enjoy the physical pleasures, she had to be a faithful wife and have many children...
or...”
“Or?”
“She had to be the object of a man's desires. Ask Cicero to find out more.”
“So you hated it when people made fun of you?”
“No, on the contrary, I loved to laugh. Do you know what my comrades said during one of my
triumphs?” The girl left the bed and began to tell with theatrical movements: “I was on the chariot
and my comrades sang in chorus: ‘Gallias Caesar subegit, Nicomedes Caesarem: ecce Caesar nunc
triumphat qui subegit Gallias, Nicomedes non triumphat qui subegit Caesarem.’ Another time they

91
sang: ‘Urbani, servate uxores: moechum calvum adducimus. Aurum in Gallia effutuisti, hic
sumpsisti mutuum’. That time there I laughed so hard that I almost fell off the chariot.”
“I'm surprised you remember their songs.”
“I felt happy with them. Those legionaries were my family and they loved me as I loved them.
They accepted me for who I was and made me feel part of something bigger.”
“You miss them?”
“Every day I breathe,” she answered with tears in her eyes. “They gave their lives to make me
great, and I can never thank them enough. That's why I never called them ‘soldiers’ but
‘comrades’. Because that's what they were to me: comrades. Brothers in arms. They entrusted
their fate into my hands, and I entrusted mine into theirs.”
“So is it true?” he asked.
“What?”
“Is it true that when you became a dictator you wanted to leave Rome and fight against the
Parthians?”
She didn't answer right away, but her wistful smile said it all. The girl wiped her tears and
replied in a low voice:
“Politics is complicated. War, even if brutal, is simpler. Politics is full of lies and unnecessary
complications, while in war it’s a question of winning or losing. In politics, facts are transformed, in
war they are undeniable. In politics, differences must always be drawn: differences of sex, race,
class... while in war we are all the same. We all suffer in the same way, we all have to fight the
same enemy and we have to be like the cogs of a machine. We cannot stab ourselves in the back
because if even one soldier doesn’t follow the machine, the whole army pays the consequences.
Yes, I preferred war to politics. I would’ve preferred to die by the sword of a Parthian ruler than to
be stabbed in the back by the people I had saved.”
“A matter of honor.”
“Not so, it's more complicated. We Romans called it dignitas. It’s about respect for others in an
external sense. You could consider dignitas as a value that combines reputation, honor and esteem.
You earn dignitas by respecting the laws, the state and Roman citizens. That betrayal I suffered was
a wound to my dignitas.”
Alessandro wanted to continue that interesting conversation with Saber, but at that moment
Viktor Stirgold entered to give the two the horrible news. When Alessandro learned of Bradley
Jenkins' death he didn't know what to say, but it didn't take him a magical ball to realize it wasn't a
coincidence. The first thing he thought was: revenge. The Coven had learned of Alessandro’s
‘death’ and it was probably they who had orchestrated Bradley's murder. Who else could it have
been?

At night, in a deserted parking lot, Murakawa Tetsuya anxiously awaited the arrival of his client.
The noise of the car announced his arrival. The man wanted to do things quickly, he wasn't going to
waste time.
“You did a good job. By killing Bradley Jenkins, you proved to be a great assassin.”
The modified voice complimented Murakawa Tetsuya, who was standing in front of a car with
dark glass that had just stopped in front of him. Tetsuya was in a hurry to end the call:
“Of course, of course, but I'm not interested in your compliments. I want the money.”
“Obviously. First of all the reward, am I right?”
A briefcase was thrown out of the vehicle. Tetsuya opened the suitcase and when he saw the
money he grimaced and left with the payment, closing the call.
At that moment the cell phone rang again, Tetsuya looked over his shoulder, confused, he didn't
know the reason for that call and the car was still stationary... so probably his mysterious client
wanted something else. Tetsuya replied in a annoyed voice:
“What now? I did my job, what else do you want from me?”
“There’s a problem, Mr. Murakawa.”

92
 “Is there really a problem? Are you sure? You shouldn’t play with me, otherwise you’ll get
hurt.”
“I'm not playing. Bradley Jenkins isn’t the only one who had to die.”
“Who’s the other one?”
The call ended. The car started to accelerate towards Tetsuya, the latter immediately used his
Magecraft and broke the hood of the vehicle using a kick; from the vehicle immediately came out a
being made entirely of ink that was killed by Lancer. The woman recognized the creature:
“This is Caster’s doing.”
“So... the German is behind all this?”
Other ink beings appeared around the two and suddenly both Caster and Clovis Wolff arrived.
Those two were controlling everything from a distance, in the car there was only that being made of
ink that had been killed. Tetsuya, seeing Clovis, enthusiastically stated:
“I’ve to admit that you’re really smart, German. Did you have fun making me do your dirty
work?”
“Don't play the victim with me, Tetsuya. We both know you're just good at killing people. It's
your nature, that's why you agreed to kill Bradley Jenkins. You’re right, though, my purpose was
just to use you” Clovis answered.
“Problems with your English colleagues? Didn't you like their tea or did you just have trouble
taking it up the ass?”
“None of your business.”
“Sure, of course. But we both know you actually like to take it up the ass, how else can you
explain your choice to face me? Do you like it when fate sticks its cock in your ass?”
“You’re a vulgar being... there’s no point in carrying on this conversation. I feel dirty, like I've
bathed in shit, just by talking to you.”
“Oh, in a minute you'll be one with Sister Shit.”
Caster created magical territory around the battlefield, hundreds of ink creatures merged and
together gave birth to this gigantic black dragon. The beast, with its jaws, would’ve killed Tetsuya
if Lancer hadn't intervened right away.
“ Run!” she screamed.
“No, I’ll kill that asshole!” Tetsuya shouted, running towards Colvis with tight fists.
Clovis fired several magic bullets, Tetsuya dodged them and, with a jump, reached his opponent
and hit him with a kick that made him fly to the ground. Lancer let out a small sigh of relief, but she
still had a beast to deal with. That dragon was massive and with its savage strength managed to
overturn her. Lancer turned away from the monster. She knew it wasn't going to be an easy battle.
Caster, smiling, commented:
“You can't stop me, Lancer. My magic is superior to your fighting style.”
“Don't bet on it, Caster!” she answered. “That dragon is fearsome, yes, but there’s no monster
that cannot be killed.”
Lancer jumped and tried to attack the dragon on the head, but the beast struck the girl with the
claw. Lancer fell to the ground but immediately recovered. The dragon was on the verge of striking
the warrior again, but the latter dodged the attack with incredible speed and dashed forward with the
spear firmly in her hands; with a brutal force pierced the dragon at its side. The beast, suffering,
tried to respond to the attack but Lancer dodged and counterattacked by piercing the beast's
stomach. The dragon was strong, but Lancer hit quickly and decisively. Caster had underestimated
the determination of an Amazon and saw his monster passively suffer several attacks.
Caster couldn’t summon other creatures of ink, keeping the dragon alive required a large amount
of mana that he borrowed from Clovis.
Lancer, meanwhile, continued to dodge the monster's attacks and hit quickly without ever
missing the target. The dragon's roar was a clear warning sign and Lancer braced herself for the
worst. The two charcoal-colored wings opened and from there emerged medieval weapons of all
kinds: swords, spears, axes, maces... Lancer was shocked but didn’t lose focus.

93
 The weapons were fired like bullets; Lancer moved. Lancer's spear, with swift and steady
movements, repelled hundreds of blades. The woman never stopped moving and kept deflecting
attacks. At one point the woman was certain she had parried at least three hundred attacks.
Caster couldn’t believe his eyes, but he wasn’t discouraged and ordered the dragon to attack with
more force. That was a bad mistake.
Lancer saw the dragon run at her like a raging bull. The jaws were open and the woman, noting
that the teeth weren’t as sharp as those of a predator, threw herself into the mouth; in Caster's eyes
that was a suicidal move. It wasn't. Within a few minutes of peace, the beast's skull was pierced
from the inside. Lancer escaped from the dragon's head and landed, leaving the carcass behind,
which disappeared shortly thereafter. Caster was speechless, now in front of him was that woman
who was cleaning herself from the ink of his best creation. It was humiliating and he couldn't bear
it.
“You’re a wild beast! You have destroyed what I’ve created with love and passion! You have no
heart! You have no soul! You have no kind of compassion for what I’ve narrated! May God send
you to Hell! You bi—”
“Shut up, Caster,” she replied, with a victorious grin. “Even the Trojan children have more
humility than you. You’re unable to face defeat with honor and prefer to insult me as if I were a
bandit. I don't expect a mage to understand the art of warfare, but you’re a Heroic Spirit... I
would’ve expected a little respect from you.”
“Respect? Haha! You're crazy, Lancer! You can't ask a true Christian to respect a pagan pig!”
“Very well.” She swung her spear and took up a fighting stance. “Then I'll give you the least
dignified death possible.”

CHAPTER 11

Tetsuya Murakawa had hidden behind the wall of a house, he had severe pain in his leg but he
had no idea what it was. He looked down and saw that his right trousers were stained with blood at
the knee; there was a deep and red cut.
“Damn!” he muttered in a low voice.
Tetsuya took off his jacket and tore off a sleeve; he used that to bandage the wound. He poked
his head over the wall to see if Clovis had followed him: he saw no one and decided to limp to the
other side of the road, stumbled over the sidewalk and fell to the ground.
“Fuck! Fuck!”
He struggled to his feet and retrieved his glasses, but when he saw that the lens had cracked, he
threw them to the ground, breaking them completely. ‘How the hell did I end up in this situation?’
he thought to himself. ‘I feel like I'm being haunted by bad luck. No. No, it's not bad luck... it's
something different. I’ve already experienced this pain in the past’.
“Exactly, you've already experienced it.” Said a heavy male voice that Tetsuya knew very well.
The man looked up and was startled to see the former best friend. He stammered:
“Kazuya?!”
“I see you remember me, do you also remember the harm you did to me?”
“You... you shouldn't be here... you're dead!”
The tall, wiry man approached Tetsuya and, with his eyes overflowing with reproach, said:
“Yes, you killed me. You killed your best friend just to get revenge on T6, your only family. We
were the only ones to accept you when no one wanted to have anything to do with you. Your lack of
gratitude brought you here.”
“Shut up! Don't talk about gratitude!”
“Why? Do you really have a problem accepting your responsibilities?”

94
 “You know what I'm talking about. I did whatever was necessary to elevate the T6 and make it
world famous!”
“You killed a lot... you killed with the same brutality as a beast. You know it too. You too know
that sociopaths like you aren’t worthy of that gratitude you speak of. You know why? People like
you kill for joy. People like you are a danger, they have always been a danger to the family. We’ve
tried to turn a blind eye, but you’ve always gotten worse and your addiction has strengthened and
drained your humanity. Even among us assassins, you’ve always been the most deviant.”
“Family? You talk about these things with me as if I were a child eager for family love. I wasn’t.
I’m not. I joined T6 because you saw something special in me, it wasn't me who begged you to join
your organization... it was you who begged. But in the end...” Tetsuya felt like laughing. “Yeah, but
in the end you chose to stab me in the back because I was too much for you: too aggressive, too
sadistic, too strong and, above all, too much appreciated.”
“These are things you say to yourself—”
“Go to hell!” Tetsuya tried to hit Kazuya with a fist, but he passed through him and ended up
hitting the wall.
“You said it yourself: I'm dead.”
“What are you?”
“Maybe I'm just a ghost or a hallucination... or you're just going crazy, Tetsuya.” He stopped
speaking to look around for a moment. “It didn't happen here. Where did you kill me?”
“Tokyo... at a construction site... at night... you had me cornered and—”
“Right, right! Now I remember! I shoot at your knee to stop you from escaping and you limped
away from me to find the way out, but you ended up in a blind alley. I remember...” Kazuya made
the gun symbol with his hand and pointed it at Tetsuya's head, he continued: “I was about to kill
you... one shot and I would’ve finished you, I would’ve punished you, I would’ve given you
peace... but I hesitated. I didn't have the strength to kill my best friend and you attacked me. I took
pity on you and you killed me.”
“Don't play the victim with me! You tried to kill me and I reacted accordingly!”
“Ah! You’re not sure either. Was it just self-defense or did you let your wild instincts drag you?
Look at you, Tetsuya, you’re a rabbit hunted by the wolf.”
“It's just bad luck.”
“Bad luck? No. It’s fate, Tetsuya. You should’ve died and instead you’re here, alive. But why
are you alive? To do something great? No. People like you weren’t born to make the world better,
but to make it worse. So why is a beast like you alive? I know why.” After a short pause he said:
“You’re alive to be killed.”
“Stop it, shut up!” screamed Tetsuya.
Kazuya disappeared. Tetsuya slowly walked away, cursing in a low voice, but at that moment he
saw a magic bullet coming towards him; it missed his head. Clovis was on the other side of the
street. Tetsuya was not afraid to die and after a nod he said:
“We can finally conclude this thing.”
“You talk too much, did they ever tell you?”
Clovis fired a magic bullet and Tetsuya dodged it; then, with incredible speed, reached Clovis
and hit him with a punch that made him crash into a stationary car. Tetsuya, thinking back to
Kazuya's words, became nervous and took Clovis by the hair, lifted him from the ground and threw
him against the wall of a nearby house.
Kazuya's words had infected him, like a disease, and now he was losing his grit. The idea of
being alive only to be killed by Clovis made him angry. He didn't want to lose. He didn't want to
die. Now it was all or nothing. Without thinking, he used a Command Seal to empower Lancer and
exclaimed:
“Lancer, we will not lose this battle! Kill Caster!”

95
 Lancer was in the midst of the battle against Caster's ink creatures when she suddenly felt her
strength increase, suddenly she was able to get rid of twenty enemies in seconds.
Caster decided to summon ten other creatures. Lancer was too fast to be hit, every hit by the
enemy failed. Caster's ten creatures were blown away in the blink of an eye.
“No problem, I have more!” he shouted.
Caster summoned thirty ink warriors, these were destroyed in less than two minutes. Caster
called forty ink creatures and added ten who were knights; Lancer swept them away with
unprecedented ease. Caster was getting nervous, it was impossible for him that this warrior was
really capable of fighting his children without the slightest effort. The man then thought of sending
the most massive group of ink warriors against her.
“You will die, Lancer!”
Caster summoned what appeared to be an entire army: one hundred warriors, fifty knights, and
eighty archers. Lancer didn't move a nerve in her face and prepared to start the battle. It was
madness in Caster's eyes, it was sheer madness. What kind of warrior was mad enough to
voluntarily fight against an entire army? But Caster still hadn't learned that what he was facing was
no ordinary warrior. Lancer was an Amazon, a warrior with the fire of Ares in her heart. An army
wasn't even a challenge to her.
Lancer's spear moved with speed and decimated the ranks of that small army summoned by
Caster. The woman performed precise moves, swift and with impressive strength. Ten enemies
were eliminated in one breath.
Caster had recently summoned his army and had just lost it. Lancer advanced towards him
without losing that fiery gaze that hungered for blood. The woman wasn't tired, in fact, she was full
of energy and eager to kill Caster.
“Only one thing I can do...” Caster closed the book and advanced.
“So you decided to face your death with honor, Caster?”
“No, I’ve decided to use my last card.”
“Your Noble Phantasm, I suppose.”
“Exactly.”
“Well then show me what you can do.”
Lancer was ready to deliver a fatal blow to the opponent. Twenty paces were now missing and
the battle would come to an end. Suddenly Caster made a lightning-fast movement, one that not
even Lancer could foresee. The quill touched the woman's chest and then Caster exclaimed:
The Prophecy to be Realized
“La Dernière Prophétie !”
With the quill, Caster wrote down Lancer's real name and then summoned an ink creature that
got the same likeness as Lancer. The woman, amazed by that Noble Phantasm, wasted no time in
commenting and immediately went on the attack. The ink warrior stopped Lancer's attack with
impressive speed. Lancer had a moment of confusion, but she didn't panic. The two weapons
collided at least five more times; each time Lancer had tried to strike differently and each time had
been anticipated by the opponent. It wasn’t possible. That creature knew her every move perfectly.
“Don't you understand yet, Lancer? You’re not facing a simple copy of yourself, this warrior is
you through and through. She has your own experiences and has your own warrior instincts. She’s
Cleta, the Amazon who raised Penthesilea.”
“Nice trick, Caster, but don't think it takes so little to defeat me—”
“You really are insolent, Lancer. Even in the face of your inevitable defeat, you continue to
behave arrogantly and disrespect me. But you will understand that you cannot face men of my
caliber.”
“You talk too much, Caster.”
Lancer tried to attack the man, but that copy of her managed to stop her.
“Don't you understand, Lancer? This is the beauty of my gift. For years the world has denigrated
the work of Michel de Nostredame, but from today everyone will respect me as Nostradamus the
Master of Prophecies!”

96
 “What are you talking about? Have you lost your mind?” she asked confused.
“My dream, Lancer, is to be recognized by all of humanity as the greatest mind of all time. The
lousy science cannot compete with the word of God that only I can hear and interpret! Humanity
must forget its false science and must accept the prophecies that I’ve written following the will of
the Lord. The time has come. All humanity must praise Nostradamus in unison. All humanity must
accept me as the new Messiah!” The man had the look of a maniac. He wasn't in himself, it was as
if he had been possessed. “You too, Lancer, will have to submit and worship me. A wild woman
like you could still redeem herself. Give up and kneel before Nostradamus!”
“So that's the way it is, mm?” Lancer had not the slightest intention of abandoning the battle.
“Nostradamus, you claim to be a Messiah and expect the world to recognize you as such... but this
is just hubris, you’re nothing but a proud little man who wishes to be worshiped as a god. But what
are you really? Just a man. You wish to be something you’ll never be, you aspire to a greatness that
you’ll never possess.”
“How dare you? What do you think you know?!” Caster didn't seem to be able to hold a candle
to Lancer, he felt deeply insulted by the woman's sharp words.
“I don't know anything about you, Nostradamus, and I'm not interested in knowing the details of
your pathetic life. I only know the world that I’ve seen with my own eyes. My people faced the god
Dionysus in Ephesus and, even when defeated, they never claimed to be recognized for having
attempted such a feat. When my people allied themselves with Dionysus to fight against Cronus and
his Titans, they never boasted of having accomplished such a feat. We Amazons have done a lot
and have met great heroes and fought many battles, but hubris has never infected us.”
“Don't you dare compare yourself to me, savage!”
Lancer dodged her copy's attack and immediately counterattacked; the spear wounded the
enemy, but didn’t kill it. The mere fact that Lancer had managed to hit her opponent once was
shocking to Caster. It shouldn't have happened and it had just... happened. The perfect copy of
Lancer was having a hard time against the real Lancer; this meant Caster's Noble Phantasm was
running out of steam. The man got angry and shouted:
“You’ve never bragged because you’ve never accomplished anything truly exceptional! The
Amazons haven't changed history, I have. Amazons have never talked to God, I have! Amazons
have never used their minds to cross the boundaries of time and space, I have! I’m the greatest man
the world has ever known and no one can say otherwise. I’m the one who spoke to God! I’m—”
In the blink of an eye, Lancer was already close to him; the tip of the spear was a few millimeters
from his face. If it weren't for that fake Lancer made of ink, Caster would’ve died. The man was
paralyzed with fear. Lancer was there, in front of him, with that fiery gaze inviting him to respond
to the attack; it was a challenge... but he didn't have the courage to attack her. He was really
terrified of what the woman's response would be. Lancer was unpredictable, she was fast as
lightning and strong as a lion. A true warrior. A true Amazon.
Lancer, realizing that Caster wouldn’t attack, leapt back and asserted:
“I hope your god is ready to welcome you.”

Meanwhile Clovis Wolff and Murakawa Tetsuya were fighting. Magical bullets were fired and
wounded Tetsuya.
“You’re dead,” Clovis said.
Tetsuya tried to kick the opponent, but Clovis was quick enough to dodge the blow and
counterattacked by shooting a magic bullet that wounded Tetsuya's stomach. The man fell to the
ground leaving a heart-rending scream of pain, Clovis kicked him in the face and said:
“Sie sind Müll.”
“Yeah, fuck you too...” He got up and walked slowly and swaying towards Clovis.
“You're seriously injured, Dummkopf, don't you understand? You can't fight anymore.”
“You're wrong... I can...”

97
 Tetsuya used all his strength to throw a punch; he couldn't hit Clovis. He fell to the ground and
lost a lot of blood. He held back the scream of pain he had in his mouth and tried, swallowing all
the pain in his body, to get back on his feet.
“You're pathetic,” Clovis said these words without feeling a minimum of empathy. “You keep
fighting, but what are you fighting for? You're just a vulgar killer who wants money and nothing
else. You don't deserve to win this war.”
Tetsuya clung to Clovis's legs and tried to get to his feet a little at a time. Clovis, disgusted,
pushed him to the ground and turned his back to him.
“Coward... don't you have the balls to finish me?”
“You don't deserve such a privilege, you're just rubbish. Auf Wiedersehen.”

Lancer was fighting her copy, she didn't have an overwhelming advantage but she was visibly in
a better position. Keeping that Noble Phantasm active wasn’t easy for Caster, the amount of mana
required was high enough and he was gradually giving in to the idea that he would never be able to
defeat Lancer.
But suddenly here came Clovis. When Caster saw his Master he had a happy reaction, as if he
had seen an angel appear. Lancer, meanwhile, felt herself growing weaker. It didn't take her long to
figure out the reason for this and she immediately left the battlefield. Caster could’ve hit her, but
Clovis stopped him by telling him it wasn't worth it; the battle was already won.
When Lancer reached Tetsuya she didn't even know what to say. She couldn't help him, she
couldn't heal him, and she certainly couldn't go on fighting. His death would also mean her death.
The woman lowered the weapon without knowing whether it was better to console the Master or get
angry with him.
Tetsuya's wound was severe, he was losing too much blood and he had very little time left. The
woman sat down next to him and took off her helmet, placing it on the asphalt. She let out a sigh
with clear signs of anger.
“I didn't want to die like that” she said. “Warriors shouldn't die this way. They should die on the
battlefield, clutching the weapon and abandoning life with their heads held high. This is not dying.
This is simply disappearing. Master, why did this happen?”
“I don’t know...” he replied weakly.
“Do you believe in fate?”
“At the moment I just think I've been haunted by bad luck...”
“I see...”
“I'm sorry... this is happening. You wanted to die fighting and I wanted to live to keep fighting...
but in the end... violent people can only die violently...”
“Do you have any last words, Master?”
“No. I don't give a shit about my last words... my words don't fucking matter. What matters is
that I’ve lived... and that now... I’m dying...”
“So this is the end” there was regret in her words.
“No... I won't die without taking that dickhead with me... if I go to Hell... he comes with me.”
“Master, what are—”
“Lancer... no, Cleta... I’ve one last order to give you...”
“A last order?”
“With this Command Seal I, Murakawa Tetsuya, order you, Cleta, Nurse of Penthesilea, to kill
Clovis Wolff. Send him to Hell with my regards!”
Lancer held back her emotion. She felt her warrior spirit invigorate and, taking her spear, she left
to do her Master's last will.
Neither Clovis nor Caster would’ve expected to see Lancer again. The two were leaving, Clovis
was about to get into the car when he sensed the presence of Tetsuya's Servant. The woman, with
long black hair, was running towards them. Clovis was confused, but he was sure Tetsuya wouldn't

98
live long; that was just a last ditch attack. Caster stepped in front of Clovis and prepared to end the
battle with Lancer.
The woman jumped. Her spear lit up. Five luminous astral spears appeared around Clovis. Caster
immediately recognized that Noble Phantasm; he knew it was impossible to avoid. Caster, having
used his Noble Phantasm on Lancer, knew Cleta perfectly. He had only one chance to counter the
woman's attack. The man tore off the page from the book that had Lancer name.
Meanwhile Lancer, with all her strength, named her Noble Phantasm:
My Condemnation of Crotone
“Katadíki tou Krótona !”
Clovis's fate was sealed. Nobody could avoid that attack. The man's last thought came to his
daughter.
The explosion confirmed the success of the attack and Lancer fell, disappearing, and murmured:
“I'm coming home, my queen.”
After the explosion there was dead silence for at least five minutes.
No sign of life.
Clovis opened his eyes. He was shocked, stunned, and he couldn't figure out where he was. The
cloud of dust that surrounded him was thick and he breathed with difficulty. He found in his hands a
page from an old book on which Cleta's name was written. The page disappeared. As the cloud
cleared, Clovis saw Caster injured; he was disappearing.
“No... No... NO! Stop! Don’t leave!” Clovis screamed, agitated and frightened. He rushed to try
to save the Servant and used a Command Seal:
“I order you to stay alive! I order you! Caster! I order you to stay alive to help me win the
Holy Grail War!”
“I'm sorry... Master...” Caster had tears in his eyes. “We cannot... oppose the will... of the
Lord...”
“Shut up! I need you, Nostradamus! I need you now! Only with you I can save my daughter!
I need you to win the war!” He used the Command Seal again. “I order you to live! You have to
fucking live! LIVE!”
“I'm sorry...”
Caster disappeared. Clovis was speechless. He was completely shocked. He had lost his Servant.
He had bet everything on the Holy Grail War and had just lost. It was all over in an instant. Clovis
had lost.
“No...”
Clovis fell to the ground with a lost look and tears in his eyes.
“My daughter...”
His body began to tremble and he collapsed, starting to beat the asphalt with his fists.
“My poor child! My poor child! Why, God? Why did you abandon me right now? I could’ve
won! I could’ve won! I could’ve saved my little girl! God, why? Why did you do this to me?!
What have I done to deserve this? Why do you want my daughter to die? What did she do to you?
What harm has she ever done to you? She was innocent! She was—”
He was already treating her as if she were dead. He couldn't stand that idea. The very thought of
burying his daughter was choking his heart. The sight burned and the taste of tears exacerbated that
suffering. He had lost. He had bet everything on that war and had just lost everything.
But he didn't want to give up. It was unfair. Even without the Servant, Clovis was ready to fight
to save his daughter. Clovis was ready to die for the sake of his little girl.
“If I don't win... nobody will...”

Bradley Jenkins was dead and the question that tormented both Alessandro and the Clock Tower
was: who was the responsible? Alessandro had only one suspect: the Coven. They knew that he was
‘dead’ because of the Mage’s Association and, from what he knew, they hadn’t acted in a
particularly strange way, which was really curious. The murder of Jenkins, for him, could only be
evidence of a revenge hatched by the Coven. Alessandro just needed proof.

99
 The boy took with him the pendant that had been given to him by Bradley Jenkins and put on
casual clothes; with a pair of sunglasses and a hat he was ready to go. Saber, of course, decided to
go with him, and even though she had thought about wearing a disguise, he convinced her to hide
her material body, which all Servants could do. It wasn't like hiding presence, it was simply about
becoming invisible—a technique used by Servants to avoid being recognized by humans.
Alessandro went to the scene of the crime and began to investigate.
“You know, I've always had a thing for investigations,” the girl said.
“How were investigations done in your day?” he asked as he was checking the place.
“Well, it was usually the lawyer who privately investigated. Because in our time there was no
real ‘detective work’, if you know what I mean. There was the praetor who simply had the task of
judging the accused, but in fact it wasn’t customary to have people who had the role of
investigating.”
“Wait, what? Seriously?”
“Yes, yes. Those like Cicero didn't protect anyone. The attorney protecting the client could
decide to investigate, but the client in question had to be... well, rich. In addition, you must consider
that in Rome anyone could accuse anyone and falsify the evidence. The praetor decided, on the
basis of the accusations, whether it was actually the case to declare the suspect guilty or not.”
“What if the evidence was all false?”
“You mean fifty percent of the time? Well, the praetor didn’t investigate so everything was in the
hands of his goodness.”
“Or his intelligence,” he added.
“Intelligence, in my day, was a gift that many claimed to possess, but that few knew how to use.”
“And you... uh... wanted to be a detective?”
“I admit that I liked knowing everything about the people around me. During my dictatorship I
had to judge many people and I forgave too many. But do you know why I did it? Because I wasn’t
an idiot. I knew when the evidence was built and when it was true. In short, a liar can deceive
everyone except a good liar.”
“Weird...” he commented in a low voice.
“What?”
“Well, it's weird that you just said you were a liar after expressing your love for those whose job
it’s to find the truth. Don't you see the contradiction?”
“Yes, I think I understand...” she said with a little melancholy. “Maybe that's why I failed? My
contradictions led me to death, in your opinion?”
“I don’t know. I don't think contradicting oneself is a serious thing. We’re humans, not
machines. Our thinking is free and rarely follows an iron logic. Contradiction is part of human
nature.”
“Do you really think so?”
“That is, how is it possible that a race capable of compassion is also capable of extermination?
You see? It’s a contradiction.”
“Ah!” she exclaimed. “You’re really a smart person, Alessandro. I like to converse with you.”
“I like it too.”
Alessandro made sure no one saw him and snapped his fingers.
“Alicuius Itinera Servo.”
Alessandro could see a magical trace, it was like a luminous snake that was moving in a specific
direction. He set off following the trail.
“What have you done? I don’t understand,” Saber asked confused.
“Every Magecraft leaves a trace of mana, even if it's tiny, it's still there. I’ve cast a Magecraft
that the Coven used in ancient times to hunt witches. It allows me to track down the magus who cast
a specific Magecraft.”
“I've wanted to ask you a question for a long time.”
“What is it?”

100
 “Are the other members of the Coven as good as you are in the magical arts?”
“It’s... um...”
He really had no idea how to answer that question. In fact, he had never compared himself to the
other members of the Coven. Davide Ponti and Marco Lombardo had always treated him as a
natural talent, the same treatment he had received from the Grand Master. Alessandro knew he
belonged to a family of magi, the Serpi family, and therefore knew that he was ahead of an average
magus. But how good was he actually? He had never thought about it. Was he better, for example,
than the Grand Master? Or was he on the same level as him? And what about Davide Ponti and
Marco Lombardo? Was he as good as they were? The special departments of the Coven had magi in
their ranks who were really good, professionals. Was he as good as them?
“I don't know how to answer you, actually,” he said in a low voice. “I know I have skills, but I
don't like to brag.”
“You do well, but bragging is good sometimes.”
“Give me an example.”
“You.”
“Me?”
“I understand that bragging can be harmful at times, but not praising yourself enough can be
even more fatal. Bragging about even the smallest things can help in my opinion.”
“It's not in my nature, I'm sorry...”
“There’s no need to apologize. In fact, look, I can say that your humility is a positive thing... but
don't be too humble, okay?”
Alessandro then stopped. He knew the road he was walking on, it was the one that led to the
hotel where he had previously resided. The mana he was perceiving was that of Elisa Mancini, there
was no doubt. The boy immediately called Viktor and asked him to join him in front of that hotel.
When the man arrived he immediately expressed his doubts regarding Alessandro’s suspicions,
but he didn’t listen to him and proceeded to the hotel room. The boy knocked on the door and Elisa
opened it.
“Who are you?”
Alessandro took off his glasses. The girl reacted as if she had seen a ghost. Alessandro didn’t
give her time to process all the information and, snapping his fingers, he said:
“Adversarium Ferio.”
The girl, overwhelmed by the powerful magical push, was subsequently blocked by Viktor, and
Alessandro proceeded to interrogate her:
“Did you kill Bradley Jenkins?”
“You're still alive? How? You’ve—don't tell me you faked your death... traitor!”
“Don't change the subject. Did you kill Bradley Jenkins?”
“Yes, I did.”
Viktor was shocked.
“Who plotted his murder?”
“Are you really asking me?”
“The Grand Master, right?”
“Ahah! You should feel honored, Alessandro! The Grand Master cared so much about you and
he wanted to avenge your death. A pity that you’re nothing more than a traitor. You owe your life
to him... to us... to the Coven...”
“I don't owe you anything.” He turned to Viktor. “What will you do with her?”
“The Assembly can convict her on a murder charge, but it will take some time. In the meantime
we can—”
Elisa found a way to escape from Viktor's grip and, without a minimum of hesitation, attacked
Alessandro. Saber immediately punched Elisa in the face; the girl fainted.
“I love betrayal, I hate the traitor,” Saber said.

101
 CHAPTER 12

Viktor Augustav Stirgold was in a huge circular room in front of an audience of at least five
hundred people. The room was lit only by a screen behind Viktor, and on this you could see a video
of the news about the various attacks attributed to terrorists. The video was mute and Viktor
explained the situation to his colleagues:
“There’s a problem, we can no longer ignore it. Bradley Jenkins understood this first and
proposed to destroy the Holy Grail because he knew, better than all of us and even better than
myself, that this war is not like any other. The number of civilian victims amounts to three hundred
and forty two. It's a scary number, isn't it? It frightens because no Holy Grail War had ever mowed
so many lives in so little time. The Disaster of Ibaraki, the earthquake in Regent's Park, the clash in
the hotel, the hijacking of the train...”
A magus in the audience stood up and asked:
“Bradley's murder was the Coven's fault, wasn't it? Who says they’re not responsible for these
incidents too?”
“Because they’re not,” Viktor replied.
“You have no evidence to prove it.”
“And do you have the evidence to prove otherwise?”
The man sat down quietly and let Viktor continue:
“The Coven has attacked the Mage's Association, this is an undeniable fact and they will answer
for their actions, but it's not our only problem. The Holy Grail is our problem. Bradley Jenkins
hoped to destroy it, but we know that it cannot be done because this Grail is divine. It was born
from the sacrifice of Odin, the ruler of Asgard. There’s no way to destroy such a powerful sacred
object, but... we can prevent it from being materialized in this world.”
“How?” asked another man who stood up. “How do you plan to prevent it? The Masters haven’t
refused to withdraw from the conflict.”
“Isn't it obvious? Veronica Drakenberg... also known as Kumahira Yukiko. She deceived us all,
so that she could be chosen as the overseer of this massacre. We’re talking about a magus who
betrayed the Assembly, who betrayed the Treaty of Alexandria and who betrayed the trust that the
six Masters had placed in her. She’s the cause of this. Not the Coven. She is.”
Viktor's accusations upset everyone present. There was fear in that room, but also a strong
skepticism. Many didn't know about Bradley's investigation, others just didn't care. A man stood up.
A slender figure with a flattened face; two blue eyes and blond hair, styled as if they were those of a
doll. This was Harvey McLowe.
“These theories, fascinating as they may seem, are only the fruit of an elderly and lazy mind,” he
said in a haughty tone. “I certainly don't want to disrespect the late Bradley Jenkins, but you can't
expect the whole Clock Tower to agree with you just because you bring the theories of a dead man
to the table. I believe there’s a conspiracy going on here. A plot against us and those who are
operating are the Coven and the Rote Mäntel, both of whom are responsible for embarrassing us
before the Assembly.”
“They’re not the problem, they’re part of the problem, but they have nothing to do with—”
“Who hijacked the train? A magus of the Rote Mäntel. Who unleashed that hell outside that
hotel? A member of the Coven. Who Killed Bradley Jenkins? A member of the Coven. It seems
quite obvious to me that this Yukiko has nothing to do with our problems, here we’re talking about
two organizations that want to put us in a bad light. They want to make us look like fools unable to
protect the secret of magic—”
“This is just ridiculous. You can't really believe what you’re saying.”
“Does it seem so absurd to you? Does it seem so hard to believe that Italians and Germans are
the problem for us English?”
“Why are you talking about this? What does it have to do with the Holy Grail War?”

102
 “You really don't get it? Am I the only one who sees this conflict?” He was really convinced of
what he was saying. Worst of all, the audience seemed to hang on his lips. “Think about it: we have
the Rote Mäntel, on one side, who have never fought against the Nazis; and we have the Coven, on
the other side, who support the Catholic Church and who, being Italians, will certainly have some
contact with the mafia.”
“You cannot be serious—”
“These are organizations of magi, yes, but at heart they are all German and Italian. We’re talking
about people who hate us because we’re superior. The Clock Tower has always had the first and
last word in the Assembly and they want to take away our place on the podium, and they want to
sabotage us because they are jealous!”
“You're not really accusing two of our allies of trying to start a war, are you?”
“I'm not accusing, I'm exposing the facts as they are.”
“And then what will you tell me? That there’s a fleet of invaders ready to capture the UK? Can
we please avoid conspiracy theories and talk about this war?”
“There would’ve been no casualties if those two organizations had not participated.”
A flood of applause baffled Viktor. It was impossible for him to think that such a man could be
acclaimed. McLowe fed on that attention, like some kind of parasite, and being the center of
attention made him smile like a child. However, not everyone praised the man, indeed, some of the
participants reacted with disgust at the sight of that ovation.
A woman in her forties, with an aristocratic appearance but with two intelligent eyes, stood up
and exclaimed:
“Is there a limit to the idiocy you can exhibit, McLowe?”
The woman who had made that bold comment was named Rosie Wilkinson.
“It's not my fault that the truth is hard to swallow, I’m—”
“You cannot call ‘truth’ that which exists only in your head. I leave you the honor of talking
about international conspiracies, but here we’re talking about a war that has now surpassed any rule
established by the Assembly. Our moral duty requires us to end this conflict before it escalates into
something even worse.”
Harvey McLowe was about to respond, but Viktor immediately intervened:
“I thank Lady Wilkinson for pointing out the issue in question: this war can escalate. But we
can prevent the Grail from being summoned, we just have to call the Assembly and submit the
request to end the Holy Grail War. If we don't—”
“One thing” McLowe was already on the attack. “You may not realize what you’re suggesting to
do. How do you think other organizations will react when they know of our intention to call the
Assembly? Do you think they will accept that we want to end the Holy Grail War? Think of the
Coven and what it has been doing here in London lately. Calling the Assembly would mean putting
the staff of the Clock Tower in danger. Nobody here wants to end up like Bradley Jenkins.”
The right words in the wrong mouth. Everyone in there knew that the Coven had dormant agents
in London as well as several spies. Jenkins' death had done nothing but fuel paranoia and fear.
Despite his poor intellect, McLowe was really smart at using that argument to attack Viktor.
“What do you suggest we do, then?” Rosie Wilkinson's direct question made the man flinch
slightly.
“Let's avoid the Assembly and work it out ourselves. Bradley has already eliminated a Master,
hasn't he? We can do the same. Deploy our best agents and kill those Masters.”
McLowe's proposal was unacceptable but there was, and wasn’t a few, consensus. It was
preferred to be worms and act in secret rather than being honest and trying to rely on the law. The
Treaty of Alexandria could’ve saved London, while the decision to use hit men would only make
matters worse. The long debate produced three proposals which were put to a vote. Out of five
hundred people: one hundred twenty-five voted in favor of Viktor's proposal; one hundred ninety-
two voted in favor of McLowe's proposal; One hundred and eighty-three voted in favor of the third
proposal, which was to do nothing and leave everything in the hands of the Masters.

103
 That was the first time in his life that Viktor condemned democracy. But there was still hope.
There was still a chance to stop McLowe and prevent a war between organizations. Viktor knew
that the only obstacle to the Clock Tower was time: it would take six to nine days to organize
operations because the hit men weren't all in London and McLowe certainly had no intention of
using two or three of them. The proposal to eliminate the Masters was risky and, logistically
speaking, it wasn’t something that could be done overnight. So it was all a matter of time.
Viktor still had an ace up his sleeve: Alessandro Serpi and Saber. He had a crazy plan in mind,
something suicidal but it was the only way to buy Alessandro Serpi time. If McLowe didn't want to
follow the law, so bad for him; Viktor was ready to use the very law against him. At the end of the
meeting, he contacted the Coven and informed them that Elisa Mancini was a prisoner accused of
murdering Bradley Jenkins. He told them that he intended to bring this to the attention of the
Assembly. He told them this:
“If you don't want sanctions, come to London for a meeting with the Clock Tower.”

The water slid over Harumi's body. By now it was ten minutes that she was in the shower. Her
mind had been soothed by the hot water, but when the tap closed, the cold came and with it the fear
of the aftermath. The girl didn’t feel ready to fight again. Maybe she should’ve accepted Viktor's
proposal?
“No,” she murmured as she came out of the shower cubicle. “I can’t...”
It wasn't pride, she didn't even know what it was like to have that. The only thing she wanted
was to change her destiny, change her life, and only the Holy Grail could’ve realized such a
miracle. Harumi came out of the bathroom in a bathrobe and saw that Archer was waiting for her.
She asked, puzzled:
“Something wrong?”
“I would like to talk to you, princess.”
“About what?”
“Can you sit for a moment?”
The girl sat on the first available chair and covered herself well with the dress, so as not to make
her legs too visible. Archer stood in front of her and said:
“I understand you. I know how you feel, princess, I understand it perfectly, I wish you knew
that.”
“Ok, so what?”
“I know you’re losing faith in my words, you believe that you’re a failure and that you’re
incapacitated but it's not true. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known.”
“You're raving, we both know I suck as a Master. There are people more valid than me in this
war, it's no use fooling around.”
“Princess, listen to me, please.”
“I'm listening, but what do you expect me to tell you? Do you expect me to agree with you just
because you say very kind things? You're denying reality, Archer. I'm not that good—”
“You know my identity, right? I’m Thomas de Camoys, the noble commander who fought in the
battle of Agincourt. But it's not my battles that I want to talk about, but the women I've met. As you
know I got married twice. The first woman I married was named Elizabeth Louches and she was a
mean woman, overbearing, vain and too self-centered. She always talked about herself and was
devoid of empathy for me. She said she loved me but I knew it wasn't true, I knew it because her
gaze was that of a manipulator.”
“So? What does she have to do with me?”
“I'm not done yet,” scolded Archer. “My second wife was Elizabeth Mortimer, a widow. Her
husband had been killed on the battlefield, and when we were married I thought she was the typical
fragile princess with no character... but I was wrong. One day I asked her about her previous
husband and she didn't cry, but she revealed that she would’ve liked to be on the battlefield to
murder the men who had killed him. She said it with so much conviction that even I had goose

104
bumps. She had a fire in her eyes, the same as a knight and she took my breath away. You are like
her.”
Harumi snorted in disbelief and looked away from Archer's sincere eyes, it was as if she refused
to be encouraged but he didn't stop. Archer took Harumi's hands, stroked them and kissed them
gently, then muttered:
“You’re exactly like her. You’re kind but strong, you have the spirit of a lioness and no one can
stop you. That's why you're my princess.”
“Why do you say these things?” Harumi began to cry and held the Servant’s hands.
“Because it's the truth.”
“What if it wasn't? What if I'm weak? What if you're wrong about everything? I don't want to
disappoint you, Archer. I'm afraid of disappointing you. Look at me, I didn't even get a victory.
How can you cheer for someone like me? How can you be on the side of a loser?”
“You're not a loser! Look into my eyes and listen to me, Harumi! You’re not a loser. Losing is
normal, it’s part of life, we’re all wrong and we all fall, but it's how we react to those defeats that
establish who we are! You’re not a loser! You had the courage to take part in this Holy Grail War.
You knew what we were going to face and you decided to fight anyway.”
“But—”
“And don't dare to say, even as a joke, that you will disappoint me... because it's impossible. I
have a great respect for you, there’s nothing in the world that can change this. Nothing. If you fall,
I'll be there to get you up; if you cry, I’ll be there to console you; if you win, I'll be there to
celebrate with you.”
Harumi felt a rush of heat run through her body, her eyes got even more wet and her heart started
beating frantically. Archer's eyes were overflowing with love, a love that Harumi had been looking
for a long time. The girl hugged Archer and he cuddled her.
“Let it out, princess, you need it.”
She cried all the tears she had been holding back until that moment.
“It's okay, princess, it's all right.”

It was night. Rybakov was on the Whitehall road and was walking towards Trafalgar Square.
Arrived in the square he settled on a bench, took out his notebook and began to compose a short
poem, he was anxious to make the most of his inspiration and so he wrote:

We live an empty life

guided by murderous instincts.
We fight and kill them
and ourselves.
We are little more than slaves
chained to a horrible fate,
we are arrogant and sick,
infected by the plague called:
Ambition!
At the end of it all, what awaits us?
At the end of it all, what do we deserve?
At the end of it all, what will we get?
A slow death or a brief victory?

Rybakov stopped writing as soon as he noticed the presence of Clovis Wolff. The man was
walking towards him with a rancorous look, his fists were firmly closed and his forehead was wet.
Rybakov immediately realized that something bad was going to happen shortly, but he didn't get
upset because only a fool would start a fight in a square full of civilians and Clovis wasn't crazy. He

105
put away the notebook and sat on the bench as if to wait Clovis, who stopped a few steps away from
him. A brief moment of silence, outlined by a thin line of anxiety, was ripped apart by Clovis's
words:
“You will not win the Holy Grail War.”
His voice was dark and was marked by a strong rancor that Rybakov couldn’t explain.
“You... don't seem in a position to make these threats,” Rybakov commented. “Do you think I
don't know what happened? Two Servants were eliminated last night: Lancer and Caster. This
means that you’ve already lost.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Do you really think you scare me just because you speak in a hollow voice? You’re not a threat
to me. You’re not a threat to anyone but yourself. Abandon this war, now it no longer makes sense
to fight.”
“Du liegst falsch. I can still fight and I will.”
“Why? For a toothless wolf, hunting is useless.”
“I have a wish that I have to fulfill at any cost, I can't let everything I care about be destroyed.”
“We all have a desire, that's why we’re here. But there are rules and we have to respect them all.
Nothing personal, of course, but that's the way things are... and rebelling is useless.”
“You’re not wrong when you say that we all have a desire... but mine is better than yours.”
Clovis opened his hand and pointed it at a civilian who happened to be passing by, fired a magic
bullet from the palm that pierced the victim's chest and killed her on the spot. The cruel murder
began a chain of shouts, thrusts and crazy runs. People emptied the square in less than a few
minutes, but misfortune would have it that some police officers were present in Trafalgar Square
and when, they saw the scene, they took out their guns and approached Clovis Wolff with caution.
One of the policemen shouted:
“Put your hands up!”
“Nein,” he said with a slight grin.
Clovis fired six magic bullets from one hand; he killed the various policemen. Rybakov did
nothing to prevent this from happening, he sat, motionless, with a calm and, at times, bored
expression. Clovis turned to Rybakov and asked:
“So... are you going to fight?”
“You're completely mad. I can't believe a man of your caliber has fallen so low.”
“Be quiet!”
Clovis was on the point of firing another shot, but Rybakov intercepted him, hit the man with a
knee straight to his stomach and then, grabbing his arm, made a quick move that overturned him.
Clovis fell to the ground but got up almost immediately and commented, surprised:
“You're not just a poet, are you?”
Rybakov didn’t answer and, grabbing the man by the shirt, turned him over with impressive
ease. Clovis, stunned by the impact, still couldn't believe he was facing an ordinary magus.
“What the hell was that?” he asked confused.
“Samozashchita bez oruzhiya.”
“Sambo. Soviet martial arts...” he concluded.
“One of the many things I learned when I was part of the Order of the Blessed. Ever heard of the
battle of Orlov? It was 1956 when the Rote Mäntel went to Kirov and clashed with the Red Army.
The Order of the Blessed defeated the Rote Mäntel and sent their flabby asses back to Hamburg.
This battle will end the same way.”
“We'll see, piece of—”
Clovis tried to hit Rybakov again, but at that moment an arrow pierced his left hand. The man
collapsed on the ground screaming in pain and Rybakov, surprised, turned to find the culprit and
saw Archer, who was on the roof of the National Gallery.
“Finally a real battle,” Rybakov muttered.

106
 Fukano Harumi met Rybakov along with her Servant. The girl noticed that Clovis was already
running away, it was a good thing. Now there was only one enemy that needed to be faced. Behind
Rybakov appeared Assassin.
“I've been waiting for you, little girl,” Rybakov said. “I've been waiting to face you for a while
and I finally have a chance to eliminate you.”
“You don't scare me.”
“It’s not my intention. I want a fight, little girl, try to give it your all or else you’ll die.”

Assassin threw several daggers against Archer, but he was able to dodge them and
counterattacked by shooting three arrows in a row; the arrows passed through Assassin who,
quickly, attacked his rival with drawn daggers. Archer parried the blades using the bow and then,
with incredible speed, he kicked but didn’t hit Assassin. Archer, then, remembered that the ability
of the rival had a limit: it could only avoid one attack at a time.
Archer jumped back and shot two arrows at the same time, so Assassin was forced to dodge to
avoid being hurt... but he counterattacked by throwing more daggers that Archer parried using the
steel armor.
Assassin was shrewd and seemed to have an infinite number of knives at his disposal, however
Archer had noticed that the opponent always threw with his right hand. Which surprised Archer
since Assassin always wielded two knives in close combat, one in each hand, and not just one in
one hand. Warriors who wield two weapons are always ambidextrous; yet Assassin only threw
knives with his right and not with his left. It was foolish from a tactical point of view. A knife
thrower was faster if they threw with both hands.
In the midst of battle, while he was dodging the knives thrown by Assassin, he thought back to
his training.
He then decided to dodge not from right to left but from left to right, so as to always be on the
left of his opponent. Archer began shooting arrows and noticed that Assassin was slower to dodge;
and here was the arrow that wounded Assassin. It wasn't hard to dodge, not for a Servant, but
Assassin didn’t even move, as if he hadn't seen the attack.
“You’re blind in one eye,” exclaimed Archer.
“What?! You can't know. You're just raving, you can't even see my face.”
“Believe me, I know. I'm an archer, after all.”
“So what?” he asked irritably.
“During training I was taught to keep only the dominant eye open, which is the one opposite the
hand that fires the arrow. Over time one gets used to keeping both eyes open, and so can actually
say that they have mastered the art of archery. I noticed that you’re ambidextrous and that when you
have to throw a knife you always use the right hand. Which is really weird... unless you have one
eye closed. But why would an ambidextrous choose to throw knives with one eye closed? It doesn’t
improve your aim and is detrimental, because you’re slower when throwing with one hand. So,
maybe you didn't choose to close your eye... because you’re just half blind.”
“Ah! This is just a guess, Archer!”
“Do you really believe it? Fighting at close range is easier than fighting at long range, especially
if you use bows and knives. So I wouldn't be surprised if at a short distance you were used to
following instinct, while at a long distance you were forced to rely on one hand.”
“You keep guessing but you might as well be wrong.”
“You believe? On the other hand, I’m sure that you can only see from the right eye. I'm sure it's
the right one mostly because you're not an archer, and you don't need to aim with the eye opposite
the hand you throw the knife with.” He paused briefly. “But it could be luck, right? Maybe I only
managed to hit you by luck before. But I don't think so.”
Assassin threw two more daggers with an irritated way of doing but Archer jumped. The pace of the
battle had completely changed. Now Assassin was nervous and didn't even seem to be aiming,
which meant Archer had a chance to end the fight quickly. A single opening would’ve been enough.

107
 “Go to hell!” Assassin's scream was followed by the appearance of several smoke knives.
These daggers were floating and there were at least thirty of them. They were all thrown in
unison. Archer had to use the bow to stop the blades of smoke, but was wounded. Assassin didn’t
miss such an opportunity and approached Archer to slit his throat.
Archer found the opening.
He rolled back and shot three arrows together. Assassin was wounded in the chest but didn’t die,
however he fell to the ground. Archer was ready to triumph with the last blow. The man nocked the
arrow and aimed at the opponent's head. Suddenly Assassin turned into a cloud of black smoke and
moved at least twenty paces from the enemy. Archer couldn't really believe that Servant was so
tough.
“I'm tired of fighting, Archer, now I'm going to kill you.”
Assassin took off the hood that covered his head and, at that moment, ashes rose around him.
The ash moved and took the shape of a musket whose barrel was wrapped in blood-stained
bandages.
Assassin showed his face full of cuts and burns, his left eye was closed with seams. He had no
hair and his ears seemed to have been eaten by rats. When Archer saw that horrible face he almost
vomited. Assassin opened his right eye, brown like an oak, and uttered these words:
“I’m damned... and now I ask for God's forgiveness.”
“Who are you? What happened to your face?”
The Monk Without Faith
“Do you want to know who I am?” Assassin raised his musket. “Ya Ne Tsar’ !”
Assassin pulled the trigger and a flame bullet was fired into the sky; the clouds caught fire and
an immense burning cross appeared in the sky, the most religious who saw it interpreted it as a sign
of the Last Judgment. That immense cross of fire went out and left in its place a great black cloud
from which blood rained. Archer, bathed in blood, felt his body grow heavier; his right foot went
paralyzed and it got a vermilion color. The man fell to the ground, weakened, unable to react.
Assassin, showing a victorious smile, exclaimed:
“Nothing will remain of you but a beautiful statue of blood. This is your punishment, Archer,
you can't escape judgment. May God have mercy on your soul, and if you go to Hell tell the Devil it
was False Dmitry I who sent you there.”

Harumi and Rybakov were fighting in Trafalgar Square. Harumi summoned a magic circle to
enhance her physical abilities and tried to hit Rybakov, who was however protected by two mastiffs
made of black sand. The girl didn’t let herself be frightened and destroyed both beasts without a
moment's hesitation. Rybakov was impressed to see the rival's more determined and courageous
movements and commented:
“Something in you has changed since the last time we faced each other.”
She didn't answer and went on the attack. Rybakov dodged Harumi's fist, grabbed the girl's arm
and, with a decisive movement, plunged her to the ground. Harumi stood up immediately. A kick
hit Rybakov's head and the man was also hit by a right hook that stunned him. The girl didn’t let
that opening escape and, with the use of another magic circle, threw Rybakov into the air; the girl
followed him and hit him in midair with a kick. The man, however, was skilled enough to land
safely. When Harumi hit the ground she found herself facing a Rybakov who wasn't tired yet.
“You've really improved, little girl. When we were in Ibaraki you seemed just a hopeless idiot...
and now I'm forced to change my mind.”
Once again the girl didn’t answer and, with the use of another magic circle, further enhanced her
physical abilities. She didn't want to fail. She didn't want to disappoint Archer. The girl was
determined to win this fight at any cost. No matter how much suffering she would’ve to endure and
no matter how hard she had to fight, the battle had to come to an end with her victory over
Rybakov.
The man was strong, but she was faster. Rybakov was hit with kicks and punches from every
direction and, in the end, was forced to take the defensive; he had no other choice. He was happy to

108
have a rival worthy of him, but at the same time he was realizing he was in serious trouble. By now
he had understood that Harumi had improved, but certainly he would never have imagined being
cornered in this way.
Rybakov took an opportunity to hit the girl and send her flying to the ground; summoned two
mastiffs, he ordered them to attack. Harumi managed to react quickly, but she was still bitten in her
legs. The two sand beasts were destroyed, but the girl could not stand up and fell to her knees.
“You don’t lack strength, but there’s a fine line that separates courage from madness. You’re
now injured and your chances of winning are minimal. Do you still want to fight?”
“I'm not done fighting... I can still win this war...” The girl was getting to her feet little by little.
“You're sweating because you're trying to resist the pain, aren't you? You want to cry, you just
want to leave and close the wound so that it doesn't hurt anymore, right? Then do it, little girl.
Leave this battle and go. You don't have to fight.”
Harumi lost her balance but managed not to fall; she was forced to put weight on her injured ankle
but still she held back the painful moans and, clenching her teeth, threw a pugnacious glance at the
enemy.
If she hadn't been the enemy, Rybakov would’ve genuinely appreciated that willpower. But as
things stood, the battle couldn’t go on. Rybakov had no intention of killing that girl, he would only
have to hurt her badly enough to render her helpless.
“You're losing, little girl, why go ahead when you've got the odds against you? Why keep
fighting when your chances of winning are minimized? It would be smarter to leave and live your
life.”
“So... are you telling me to give up my wish?”
“Exactly.”
Rybakov's words weren't cynical, there was really good intent behind those things he said, but
that wasn't enough to persuade Harumi.
“Ah!” she exclaimed.
“What's so funny?”
“Nothing, it's just that... if you were in my situation would you give up the Holy Grail, the
possibility of realizing any desire?”
“Obviously. I have my desire... but my life has more value.”
“Then you're not like me. I have a desire that I’m willing to die for. I must win the Holy Grail
War!” exclaimed Harumi.
“But you will never be strong enough to make it happen. Life is like that: only the strong can get
what they want and you're not strong. You’re not strong enough to move forward.”
“So? No one is born strong! NO ONE! I hate to be fragile, I hate being weak, I hate being
targeted by those stronger than me who take advantage of my weakness to hurt me! That's why I
don't accept it! That's why I’m here! Because I'm not strong enough to give up my desire!”
“What you say doesn't make sense—”
“It doesn't make sense to you, but to me... it's all I have! I've got only this! And I won't let you
take away from me the only thing that keeps me going!”
“You're right, nobody is born strong... but becoming strong is something that few can do, and
you don't seem like one who can do such a thing. Give up and live, it's not worth it.”
“THAT'S ENOUGH!” she screamed, generating a magic circle under her feet that had a dragon
symbol.
That magic circle, which emitted the lights of the rainbow, regenerated Harumi's wounds.
Rybakov felt a really crazy release of mana, especially by that girl's standards.
Rybakov ordered his mastiff to attack Harumi but this one, whose body was wrapped in those
bright colors, managed to pulverize the dog with a kick and then ran at full speed against Rybakov,
who had remained petrified by how the girl had managed to find again the energies to fight. Harumi
punched Rybakov in the face. That blow knocked the man unconscious.

109
 The girl could breathe a sigh of relief. She had finally managed to defeat a Master but she
couldn’t relax, because at that moment the sky was torn apart by a cross of fire.

CHAPTER 13

“Archer!” the girl shouted.

Harumi, without thinking twice, used a Command Seal to help her Servant. Archer, who in the
meantime was slowly turning into a statue, felt his strength grow. He turned and saw Harumi,
surrounded by those beautiful colors, and was moved. The girl had finally found her way and tasted
victory; he couldn't afford to be defeated. The strength gained thanks to the Command Spell was
more than necessary to free him from the effect of Assassin's Noble Phantasm. The man stood up,
one step at a time, and freed himself of the blood. He grabbed the bow and fired an arrow that hit
Assassin's shoulder; a desperate attack and not even thought of, which nevertheless was successful.
Assassin had lost his ability which made him intangible. Archer didn't know it was all about the
hood. By the time Assassin revealed his face, he had lost that skill.
Now it was all or nothing.
Archer nocked another arrow and Assassin, holding his musket, fired a bullet of black smoke;
Archer moved quickly and shot. The arrow missed. Assassin had started to move. Archer knew that
Assassin was shrewd as a fox, so he didn't let his guard down for a moment and forced him to
dodge; but he knew he couldn't win the battle without a decisive action.
Archer dodged a bullet and then three daggers; Assassin dodged several arrows; Archer ducked
to dodge yet another bullet; Assassin tried to shorten the distance. Archer indulged his rival for only
a short time, there was a brief exchange of blows at close range; Archer then stepped away and took
aim at the enemy's head. Another arrow was dodged.
Archer realized that going forward at this rate, he would never be able to triumph. The man
jumped onto a roof and said to his mistress:
“You will have to hide, princess.”
Harumi didn't get told a second time and took Rybakov to safety too; she didn't like the guy, but
she didn't want him dead.
“It's finally time to end this battle, Assassin!” Archer exclaimed. “You’re not facing just any
knight, I’m Sir Thomas de Camoys, First Baron Camoys and commander of archers. Which
archers, you ask me? THESE!”
Archer's bow emitted a blue light and suddenly two thousand ghostly archers appeared behind
the man.
Great
“Behold, Assassin, behold the might of the Kingdom of England! Left Wing of Agincourt
Battle of Azincourt
!”
Archer was the first to shoot an arrow made of light. Within seconds all the archers shot their
arrows. Assassin couldn’t escape from such a devastating attack. The Noble Phantasm, made up of
seven storms of arrows, deformed Trafalgar Square making it unrecognizable. When the Noble
Phantasm came to an end, Harumi saw Assassin bleeding, on his knees, with his head turned to the
sky; she couldn't hear what he was saying but it sounded like he was praying. He wasn't a threat
now, that was obvious. No Servant could’ve survived such an attack. Assassin disappeared shortly
thereafter.
The battle was over.
Fukano Harumi had won.
“So it's over...”
The girl jumped. Rybakov was on his feet and had witnessed the death of his Servant. He didn't
add a word and she didn't say anything either. It could’ve ended there, but the police cars came.

110
 The policemen got out of their cars and immediately set out in search of the culprit; they hadn't
seen Harumi or Rybakov yet. The girl, feeling guilty that she had decided to fight in such a place,
told the man to run away with her. He refused.
“Why don't you run away?” she asked raising her eyebrows.
“It no longer makes sense for me to go on. They’re looking for someone to blame and it's better
if they take me rather than you, right?”
“But—”
“Go, little girl, go and win the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil.”
“Thank you, I’ll never forget you...” she said with a smile.
Archer took Harumi and left.
Sergei Rybakov, former Master of Assassin, headed for the police with his arms raised. He was
immediately arrested. The man didn’t react and, although there was no hope for his future, he
smiled for what would be the future of the girl. His poet's heart had fallen in love with that figure
who had the features of the typical hero who with will and effort managed to reach their goal. He
couldn't hate Harumi, in fact, all his prayers went to her.

Viktor Augustav Stirgold informed Alessandro Serpi and Saber of his idea and their reaction was
not the best:
“You’re crazy,” Alessandro said. “You’re just crazy. How can you think it was a good idea to
call the Coven? Don't you realize what will happen when the Grand Master arrives in London? You
don't want to start a war, do you?”
“I want to avoid a war and the Coven is the best way to do it.”
“Wouldn't it have been easier to go to that McLowe and give him some false information or
something? Don't you have friends who can help you hinder him?”
“I had no other choice, I already told you.”
“And what makes you believe the Coven will be able to distract the Clock Tower? Who tells you
that McLowe will agree to meet the Grand Master and discuss about Elisa Mancini? He hasn't given
an answer yet, has he? So this could mean he doesn't care about the Coven.”
“Believe me, Alessandro, he will accept.”
“How can you be so sure of this plan of yours? Tell me, because I just don't understand.”
“It's not the best plan I've ever had, I understand... but it's the only one we have to stop McLowe
from starting a war.”
“I don't like it, I'm sorry, but I don't like it...” he protested in a low voice.
“Are you afraid the Coven might find you?” asked Saber.
“No, it’s the Grand Master that worries me. He had no problem ordering the murder of Bradley
Jenkins, did he? Who tells us he isn't planning something bigger? Who tells us he didn't foresee this
move of yours, Viktor?”
“I believe it’s a risk worth taking,” he answered.
“I don't know, I have my doubts...”
“Plus, I wanted to talk to you about something else.”
“Another great plan?” he asked with a tinge of irony.
“No, it's about your father.”
Alessandro turned pale and stiffened.
“I knew you would react like that, but we have to talk about him... because there are things you
need to know.”
“Like what?”
“Bradley Jenkins, investigating Yukiko, stumbled upon a lead concerning your father, Marco
Serpi. He was a member of the Coven and when he left you and your mother, he also left the
Coven. But there’s more...” The man took a file out of a briefcase and gave it to Alessandro. “Open
it.”
He did.

111
 “What you see is all that Bradley Jenkins discovered and it's not a little stuff, not even remotely.
Your father has always had an obsession with the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil because he had
discovered a link between the Serpi family and the relic in question.”
“My family is linked to the Holy Grail? How?” he was shocked.
“Well, your family is very old. Apparently your earliest ancestors belonged to the people of the
Northern Germans... who would later become Vikings. Apparently your ancestors came into direct
contact with the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil and this left an imprint on your Magic Circuits.”
“An imprint? Like—I mean, I... never heard of something like that” he was confused and he
couldn't stop sweating.
“The term ‘crest’ is often used.”
“Crest?”
“Magic Circuits aren’t formless, in fact they resemble veins, that’s their basic aspect. The crest is
a figure assumed by the Magic Circuits that indicates belonging to a particular family. Have you
ever noticed the shape of your Magic Circuits?”
“Well, when I use Magecraft they appear on my arms.”
“Yes, that’s common. Have you ever noticed anything strange?”
“No,” he answered shaking his head.
“Take off your shirt and cast a harmless Magecraft. Saber get behind him, I'm in front.”
Alessandro then snapped his fingers and said:
“Defendere.”
“Whoa!” Saber exclaimed with wide eyes.
Viktor quickly reached Saber and saw that the Magic Circuits formed a kind of snake on
Alessandro's back.
“What?” The boy was agitated.
“You have a crest,” Viktor said. “Behind your back... how come you never noticed?”
“No one has ever told me and I’ve never cast a Magecraft without... you know...”
“Well, now we have confirmation: you may actually be tied to that Holy Grail.”
“But it's just a symbol, it doesn't mean anything—”
“It’s not so. Because according to your father the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil contains within it
Nidhogg. If you’re familiar with Norse mythology, you will know that this little chap is nothing
more than a snake. Sure, it has draconic features, but it's still a snake.”
“But not just any snake...” he said, getting dressed. “Isn't he the one who devours the dead?”
“Yes, the one who eats corpses in the Náströnd or Corpse Shore. A hungry monster whose
name translates to Malice Striker. Well, that monster is sealed in the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil.”
“How?”
“Apparently thanks to your ancestors, but Bradley couldn't find out more about it. Still, there are
some pretty disturbing things about your father.”
Alessandro had just sat down on the bed in that small room and was already ready to run away;
one part of him was terrified of hearing Viktor's words, but another was waiting for nothing else.
Saber noticed that Alessandro’s eyes were tinged with concern, she had a strong compassion for
him and would’ve liked to hug him.
“So, get ready because many of these things have shocked me too,” Viktor said.
“Do it,” Alessandro said in a weak voice.
“Your father was truly obsessed with the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil and, according to information
gathered by Jenkins, had also begun to experiment to be able to summon it. We’re talking about
human sacrifices made when he was in the Coven.”
“What?!” he exclaimed sweaty. “And no one knew?”
“Nobody knew about it, at least not before he left the Coven. An informant, of dubious sincerity,
also stated that Marco Serpi tried to sacrifice his own son but that he failed for an external cause.”
“Under the jacket...” Alessandro murmured those words with his eyes wide open fixed on
nothingness.

112
 “So is it true?”
Alessandro looked at Viktor, then Saber; the girl had an expression of marked sadness on her
face.
“I was six... and he took me to Castel Sant'Angelo... he told me he wanted to show me a hidden
room that no one knew anything about. I was ecstatic, really. I loved being with dad... and I had
noticed something strange that day... just as he was tying his shoe. Under the jacket... there was
something bright... metallic... it was like...”
“A dagger?” asked Saber.
Alessandro nodded and meanwhile his eyes were getting wet. The boy put his hands in front of
his face; he tried to hold back the moans but you could tell he was crying. Saber rushed to comfort
him and Viktor, feeling guilty about having triggered that reaction, decided to say no more.
“I'm sorry, Comrade... I'm so sorry you have to suffer so much... a father should never kill his
own son.”
“Was it all lies, Saber?” His eyes were red and his face was wet with tears. “All my life? Was it
all a lie? Was there anything true? Was I just an experiment my dad wanted to do? Is that why my
mother left me in the hands of the Coven? Because she never really loved me? Why was I born?
Just to be an object? Is this what I am? A thing? Something that can be used and thrown away?
Why do I even exist? What’s the meaning of my life? Was I born to be used?”
“Comrade, I—”
“No” Viktor said. “Don't cry, Alessandro, be happy because now you can finally grasp your
destiny. It's not too late to get over your father and become yourself. That dossier on your father is
just one more reason to forget him and to live your life.”
“And what can I do?”
“We can stop this Holy Grail War. Once the war is over, you can finally live.”
At that moment Viktor was called on his cell phone. Good news: Harvey McLowe had agreed to
meet with the Grand Master of the Coven.

A refined limousine raced along the sunny streets of London. Inside there was the Grand Master
Giovanni Monteverdi X along with two of his colleagues: Vittoria Toscano and Rebecca Forte. The
two girls in their twenties with long brown and blond hair, respectively, had the task of protecting
the Grand Master. The limousine was protected by two armored vehicles of the Coven full of men
ready to fight against every threat.
Giovanni was quiet and sipping wine while looking at the London scenery. Two days ago he
received the green light from the Mage’s Association to speak with Harvey McLowe, Viktor
Augustav Stirgold and Rosie Wilkinson about the trial of Elisa Mancini. He wasn’t worried, on the
contrary, a part of him was ready to deal with Alessandro Serpi. After what had happened to Elisa,
he became convinced that no one could’ve tracked her down without adequate Magecraft; a
Magecraft that was taught only to members of the Coven. He was sure that Alessandro was actually
still alive and had simply decided to betray the Coven. The two girls he was traveling with were
there for this reason: to kill Alessandro. It was their job.
Vittoria Toscano was reading the newspaper:
“Apparently a certain Sergei Rybakov has been accused of many terrorist attacks here in
London.”
“Have you seen what Trafalgar Square looks like now? Is unrecognizable,” exclaimed Rebecca.
“Poor London and poor English, they certainly don't deserve this treatment.”
“They’re English,” Giovanni said. “They’re Protestants. They’ve chosen to abandon the graces
of the Lord and this is what they deserve. This country of heretics, blasphemous and traitors doesn’t
deserve our pity. Catholics shouldn’t worry about these... animals. May they all rot in Hell.”
“Come on, don't be so mean,” Rebecca said, smiling maliciously.
“I can't do anything about it. I hate this place and I hate these people. We came here only
because the Mage's Association asked me to meet them.”

113
 “It's all because of that incompetent girl.”
“Don't be abrupt, Rebecca, it's not Elisa's fault... I bet there’s the hand of a corpse.”
“Ah, yes, Alessandro Serpi. The young talent of rank Discipulus. If I'm not mistaken Davide
Ponti had said of him that he has the skills of a rank Senex.”
“Isn't that the boy who belongs to the Serpi family?” asked Vittoria.
“A real shame, right? Considering his lineage, he could’ve given the Coven some very powerful
disciples.”
“Ahah! But he's a man, not a woman!”
“So? If he got a woman pregnant, he would do us a favor.”
“You're right, that's why I'm sorry for what will happen to him,” Giovanni said, pretending to be
sorry. “A pity, but what can we do about it? He could’ve followed in his father's footsteps and at
least, say, make us proud. But instead he decided to follow his mother's wild blood and, as any
human would do, he decided to betray us.”
“You talk about it as if it were certain that he was alive...” Vittoria noted.
“He’s alive, believe me. I wasn’t born yesterday. I know he's alive, I'm sure.”
The limousine stopped suddenly. Giovanni, irritated, muttered:
“Damn city full of rubbish. This country has never produced anything useful. Just trash.”
He turned only a moment toward the window and noticed that a creature in black armor, full of
scales, with the helmet in the shape of a dragon head was about to collide with them. It was
Berserker.
Giovanni, panicked and shouted:
“Get this fucking car started!”
Berserker punched the car; the vehicle overturned. The people of London were shocked to see
that scene... another nightmare was about to strangle the city.

Berserker stood on the remains of the limousine she had just run over with her immense strength.
The armed vehicles stopped and from these came the various members of the Coven, ready to fight
against what looked like a simple unarmed girl. They cast several Magecrafts, but these had no
effect on her. Berserker killed all twenty men who were protecting the Grand Master in no time. No
effort. No mercy. That black-armored demon turned to the limo and slowly approached.
Rebecca and Vittoria emerged from the limousine, dragging out the Grand Master, who was
seriously injured and couldn’t move. The two girls took him on their shoulders and brought him to
safety, but Berserker had seen them and immediately blocked their only escape route.
“Adversarium Ferio!” Rebecca screamed, snapping her fingers.
Berserker was pushed back a few meters, but immediately returned to the attack and so Rebecca
was forced to fight her, leaving the task of saving the Grand Master to Vittoria.
Berserker's fists, engulfed in flames, were quick and Rebecca was able to dodge two blows only
by luck. The end came when Rebecca stopped to move; Berserker’s punch pierced the girl's ribcage.
“REBECCA!” Vittoria screamed, shocked.
“Wait... don't go fight that Servant... she'll kill you...” said the Grand Master.
“But... we can't just run away!”
“We have no other choice... Vittoria, don't you understand? The Servants cannot be defeated by
us. We’re too weak for them. Plus I don't think that Heroic Spirit is a Servant like others...”
“Who is she? Who can be so destructive?”
“I’ve no idea... the dragon-shaped helmet certainly doesn't help me. She could be anyone.”
Berserker made a single jump and was already in front of the girl and the Grand Master. Vittoria
had no idea what to do; that Heroic Spirit had a very frightening aura. She looked like a real demon
who had come from Hell to do the will of the Devil.
Berserker hit the ground with her boot, the asphalt under the feet of the two began to shake and
break; an absurd sight, the strength of that Heroic Spirit was something surreal. Vittoria lost her

114
balance and a moment later she was grabbed by the throat by Berserker. With the slightest bit of
force, the Servant broke the girl's neck using one hand.
Giuseppe Monteverdi tried to escape, but he was wounded and every movement was followed by
unbearable pain. The man fell at Berserker's feet. The Servant didn't say a word to him. She lifted
her foot and prepared to crush his head.
At that moment something stopped Berserker, it was the presence of another Servant. A little
further on Saber appeared, sword in hand and a smile that expressed boundless pride. Berserker
abandoned the Grand Master, captured by the desire to fight that Servant who was approaching
without fear. Saber delivered the first blow; the blade of the sword was stopped by Berserker's fist.
Saber attempted a lunge, but Berserker quickly moved to the side and threw a punch. Saber reached
down and tried to injure the opponent's legs; Berserker jumped. Saber pulled away so as not to be
hit by yet another punch.
There was something odd about the opponent's fighting style. Saber could sense that Berserker
was hiding a weapon thanks to magic; the weapon was in the sheath; both it and the scabbard were
invisible, but Saber could sense their presence behind Berserker's back. This was odd. Berserker
had a weapon but she fought with her fists, why?
“Hey, um... not that I want to criticize your style but... can't you tell me why you're holding
back? I mean, I don't want to imply that you're disrespecting me, but...”
“I don't need any weapons to fight you,” Berserker said.
“No, of course I understand but—wait, did you just talk?! Ugly daughter of a bastard, why didn't
you talk before?”
“Shut up and fight me, Saber.”
“Why should I fight a Servant who isn't really going to fight? You haven't even drawn your
weapon. Don't tell me you're a boxer, because... I'm pretty sure you're not.”
“Mm? How can you tell?”
“Because I know who you are.”
Silence fell. Berserker didn't say another single word and tried to hit Saber, but she avoided the
attack and the next one as well. Berserker let out a cry of fury and began to attack faster, but Saber
kept dodging and parrying.
“Are you really going to not use the sword you hide?” Saber asked with a sigh. “Okay, you
wanted it.”
Saber dropped her sword, with a snap she positioned herself behind Berserker and grabbed her;
she lifted her off the ground with force and slammed her onto the asphalt. Berserker, as she tried to
get up, saw Saber jump on her and grab the sword that was hidden. When Saber took hold of the
weapon, the magic that kept it invisible disappeared: it was a broken sword. Its appearance
would’ve seemed anonymous to any person, but Saber smiled when she saw it.
Berserker couldn't believe what she was seeing; Saber was holding her sword. Servant weapons
were none other than Noble Phantasm, no Servant could wield another Servant's weapon; it was
simply impossible.
“Don't be surprised, Berserker, I possess a skill that allows me to use the Noble Phantasms of
those Heroic Spirits who are bound to me by blood or history. You’re bound to me by both blood
and history... and this is a real problem for you.”
Saber noticed that Berserker was no longer in a rage. She didn’t try to understand why and threw
the weapon at her rival; Berserker shuffled her sword and asked, puzzled:
“Who are you?”
“I'm the one who owned that sword before you. My name is Gaius Julius Caesar, Dictator
Perpetuo, Pater Patriae and Divus Iulius.”
“So I'm facing the King of Tyrants... good. This battle will be more fun than expected.”

115
 Saber and Berserker were fighting each other, destroying everything that was on their way and
yet, despite their being a battle to the death, there was something that implied that the two were
having fun.
Alessandro Serpi was making his way through the rubble and joined the Grand Master who for a
moment didn't recognize him because of the black sweatshirt and dark jeans. With an ironic smile
he said:
“You're wearing hideous clothes, disciple. You look like an idiot.”
“And you look like a dead man.”
Alessandro would’ve complimented himself if he hadn't been worried about what was going on.
He never expected to look down on the Grand Master, but he had no intention of humiliating or
attacking him.
“Are you... here to kill me?”
“No, I'm here to save you.”
“Then... you’re late...”
“What do you mean?”
Giovanni raised his finger and pointed at the girl who was approaching from the other side of the
street, she had a black gothic dress with a right sleeve longer than the left, so long that it covered the
entire hand. That girl was Kumahira Yukiko. As soon as Alessandro saw her, the blood in his veins
froze, it was as if he had seen a ghost; Yukiko smiled at him.
“You owe me an arm, big brother.”
“I won't let you hurt this man.”
“And since when did you become the hero? I must have missed the ceremony and everything,
plus I thought you were dead... I mean, I should’ve expected this, but I'm still surprised. Don't you
know, my dear Alessandro? We’re almost there. Of seven Servants only three remain: Archer,
Saber and Berserker. Rider, Lancer, Caster and Assassin are all dead and now the fate of the war is
in the hands of the three of us. Who will win? The traumatized girl? The homeless boy? Or me?”
“Well, I'm betting on the one who cut off your arm. She looks like a promising person,” he said
ironically.
“Well, I admit I'm glad your balls have grown. Either that or you’ve recently lost your virginity
and you feel like a lion. The problem is that a lion, without teeth, is like a peacock: a lot of chatter
but no strength. So how about leaving this fifth grade bullshit behind and talking business? You
and I can still be allies and put aside our differences for the greater good—”
“I refuse,” he said gravely. “I've seen what you've done, I've seen what you're capable of, and I'm
not going to be your accomplice.”
“So is this your answer?”
“Yes, I'm not going to repeat myself.”
“Such a pity,” she murmured in disappointment. “You've come a long way to get here,
Alessandro, and I bet you're just waiting to kill me. If it's a battle you want, you'll have a battle. But
I won't fight by your rules. You can forget about it. If you fight me you’ll have to do it where I
want and when I want.”
“And how do I know it's not a trap?”
“I’m a predator, Alessandro, not a prey. I don't use tricks to win, I win because I'm stronger.”
She paused. “The when is midnight in two days. The where is Westminster Abbey. Don’t be late.
And, personal advice, don't try to call for reinforcements, you already know what happens to people
who aren’t welcome at our receptions.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Sure you'll be there... but first here's a present from me.” The girl's chest lit up, she was using a
Command Seal. “Berserker, your goal is the Grand Master. Show off a milligram of your power.”
Berserker turned to the Grand Master Giovanni Monteverdi X and distanced herself from Saber.
Alessandro immediately thought of stopping Yukiko, but she hit him with a kick to the testicles that
put him on the ground and she said:

116
 “Do you really want to die for this man? Then go ahead, big brother. I won't miss you.”
The flames in Berserker's fists went out. Berserker unsheathed her broken sword and lifted it up
to the sky. The broken blade began to glow and suddenly an immense amount of energy was
released from that weapon. A blade made of light, like that of the sun, emerged; it gave off a strong
heat and its mere presence shook the sky and made the earth tremble.
Saber smiled at the sight of that sword and no longer doubted the identity of her opponent.
“Angau Coch, Agheu Glas, Crocea Mors, Yellow Death or... Excalibur,” she said wistfully.
“My weapon. The weapon with which I conquered Gaul and defeated the Britons. The divine
weapon that was possessed by the great Roman emperors. Yes, I know who you are... you who
wield that weapon. You’re the opponent I’ve been waiting for. I'm sorry I’ve to go, but one day we
will face each other... King of the Knights.”
So Saber ran to Alessandro and took him away.
“No, stop! Saber! We must—”
“It’s too late, Comrade. Believe me.”
Berserker said only these words:
Deicide
“No More Avalon .”
A glimpse of pure light struck the ground and swept away even the Grand Master himself; that
man was done for. That slash of light seemed to be able to cut the planet itself and Alessandro,
when he recognized the chasm, learned the nature of that Noble Phantasm.
“An Anti-Planet Noble Phantasm...” he murmured in shock.

CHAPTER 14

Grand Master Giovanni Monteverdi X was dead. The whole Clock Tower was in panic, the death
of the supreme head of the Coven on English soil, just when he had been invited by the Mage’s
Association itself, would’ve meant a war in all likelihood. Harvey McLowe didn't change his plan,
on the contrary, he decided to speed things up, despite the friction inside the Clock Tower; not
many wanted to make the situation worse.
Viktor met Alessandro secretly in his office.
“I can't believe it all went to hell. It was our only chance to slow down McLowe and now we're
in shit. But what was that? Did you get it?” Viktor asked Alessandro.
“Well, as I guess you know, the Noble Phantasms fall into several categories: Anti-Unit, they
are those that can only hit one enemy; Anti-Army, are those that can kill an entire army; Anti-
Fortress, are those that can destroy a castle or a fortress; Anti-City, are the ones that can raze an
entire metropolis the size of New York. These are the ones that are still considered average. They
are the most common, so to speak. There are Noble Phantasms that belong to extraordinary
categories such as: Anti-People, are those that can only target civilians like Rider's Noble
Phantasm; Anti-Self, which generally inflict damage on the Servant using the Noble Phantasm;
Anti-Treasure, which can destroy another Servant's Noble Phantasm.”
“Yes, I’ve a fairly vague knowledge of these Noble Phantasms. I know the positive ones: Pro-
Self, which can enhance the Servant using the Noble Phantasm; Fortress, which can build
fortresses or castles; Anti-Extermination, which can only counter Noble Phantasms that have
destructive power equal to or less than those of Anti-City rank; Anti-Extinction, which can counter
Noble Phantasms which have a destructive power that exceeds that of the Anti-City rank.”
“Exactly. Then there are the even more particular ones that can be: Anti-King, Anti-God, Anti-
Demon, Anti-Angel, Anti-Fairy, Anti-Dragon, Anti-Giant, Anti-Beast, Anti-Dream, and Reality
Manipulation. But these are very unique Noble Phantasms. However, as you said, there are Noble
Phantasms that can surpass the destructive capacity of the Anti-City rank: Anti-Planet, they can
destroy an entire planet; Anti-Galaxy, they can annihilate an entire galaxy; Anti-Time, they can act

117
on spacetime; Anti-Life, they can exterminate any form of life present in the universe; Anti-
Reality, they are the ones that can destroy the fabric of reality.” Alessandro then explained the
nature of Berserker's Noble Phantasm.
“I see...” Viktor said, worried. “This isn’t a good thing at all. Such a Servant, with such power, in
the hands of a madwoman... FUCK!” Viktor punched the table.
“Berserker is strong, but I know her identity” Saber said in an optimistic tone.
“So... can you defeat her?” Viktor asked.
“I can... but it won't be easy.”
“Well, thank you for your sincerity,” Viktor said those words with a hint of disappointment. “I
want to be honest with you: I don't know what to do. I don't even know if it’s appropriate to accept
Yukiko's challenge. It seems like a gamble to me.”
“I understand your fears, but we can't back down. Maybe it will be risky, but what else can we
do? Do you really want to leave everything in McLowe's hands?” Alessandro was anxious, he
constantly thought about that meeting with Yukiko, he tried to hide his doubts behind a mask of
tranquility.
“I’ll not leave the fate of London in McLowe's hands, I can swear to you, but at the same time...
you’re my only hope. Only you can stop Yukiko and Berserker and I don't want you to put
yourselves in danger.”
“Do you have any idea why Yukiko wants to face me in Westminster Abbey?” Alessandro
asked.
Viktor sat behind the desk and answered by trying to hold back the agitation:
“The Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster has nothing—wait!” He got up abruptly
from his desk and, with two wide eyes, said: “Britain's Valhalla. That name is not accidental, more
than three thousand people are buried in there and, according to many scholars of the Clock Tower,
there’s a strong accumulation of mana in there. I don't know why it never dissipated, it's there... and
there’s no other place in London that has that much mana in it.”
“But how is such a thing possible?” Saber asked, confused.
“Well, when a person dies their mana goes back to the source: the World Soul.”
“Anima Mundi... psychè kósmou...” Alessandro said in a low voice.
“Exactly. The source of all mana in this world. Yet there must be something preventing the mana
of those dead from returning to the source, and so the mana has accumulated there. If it had been
some human mana it wouldn't have been a problem, but magi have also been buried in there.”
“Well, if Yukiko wants to meet me in Britain's Valhalla, that can only mean one thing: she wants
to use that mana.”
“How can you tell?” Saber asked.
“I don't need a crystal ball to know her plans. We have: a Holy Grail, inside which is sealed a
monster that devours the souls of the dead, an insane girl who has no problem carrying out
massacres, and a place full of mana that could be used to perform magical rituals. Isn't it obvious
what she wants to do?”
An expression of concern was painted on the faces of Saber and Viktor. The two understood.
Alessandro said it aloud:
“If we don't stop her, London will burn... and maybe the whole world too.”

Westminster Abbey.
Under star-studded sky, Alessandro and Saber reached the gates of Westminster Abbey. The
white light of the full moon was like a spotlight on the two and Alessandro, moved by a slight
concern, hesitated to open the doors.
“You’re scared?” Saber asked.
“You’re not?”
“A bit’.”

118
 “If it ends badly for both of us, I want you to know it was an honor to fight by your side,
Caesar.”
She smiled and, embracing Alessandro, joyfully asserted: “The pleasure was mine, Comrade.”
The hug ended. It was time to fight. It was time to face Yukiko Kumahira. Alessandro grabbed
the handle and at that moment he heard Harumi Fukano's voice behind him.
“What are you doing here?”
He turned and saw those two scared eyes of the girl. Alessandro had a moment of confusion, he
knew she was alive but he didn't understand why she was there.
“Why are you here, girl?” he asked in a dark tone.
“The overseer told me to come here. She told me I could get the Holy Grail!”
It was all Yukiko's plan. But what could Alessandro do? It was obvious what that sadistic girl's
intentions were. But what could he do? Don't fight? It was an idea. He realized that if he explained
everything to Harumi, she, perhaps, would understand and give up. No bloodshed, this was
Alessandro’s goal.
“There are some things you need to know about the Grail,” he said.
Alessandro then revealed to Harumi all the information he had obtained regarding the Holy Grail
and also regarding Yukiko Kumahira's intentions. The girl's reaction didn’t follow his expectations:
she laughed at him, as if he had told a joke. She laughed and laughed and finally, with a regretful
look, she shook her head and said:
“No. Just... no.” She had a sad smile and tears were running down her cheeks. “After everything
I've done to get here... after everything I've gone through to get to this point, you can't expect me to
believe this story. I’m here to change my destiny and I’ve given everything to get to this point.
You can't really ask me to withdraw. You're a fool if you believe I will.”
“You have to believe me, it's all true.”
“No. I don't believe you. I don't believe you at all.”
“If you don't leave, I will be forced to fight you and I don't want to. I don't want to, do you
understand? If we fight now, we will play Yukiko Kumahira's game. We cannot be reduced to being
her puppets! Please go away—”
“No! I'm not going anywhere!” she shouted.
“But why? Why? Tell me why, damn it! You have no reason to fight! Do you believe that a
miserable desire is worth more than your own life?”
“I have no life!” she screamed. “This body of mine has been the object of pleasure of a beast
that I once considered part of my family. I have no family waiting for me at home, my parents are
dead, if I had to go back I would go back to being an object! And I don't want to! This is my
skin! These are my bones and my blood! This is my body!” She paused. “But this body doesn't
have a life. It has no future ahead of it. That's why I'm here. To change my destiny and to finally be
happy. So don't come to me and tell me to let go and pull back, because I won't. My desire, for you,
might be miserable or ephemeral... but for me, it's all I have, it's all I have left.”
Alessandro wanted to hug her. Not out of pity but out of pure and simple empathy. Hearing those
words he knew he had a lot in common with her, they both just wanted to be happy but the only
difference is that he had been forced to fight the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil, while she had chosen
to do it. He would’ve liked to laugh at himself. He had been a fool and also a presumptuous one. He
thought that he would be able to make her withdraw with his words, but listening to her he
understood that she was one who had nothing to lose and that she would give her life for that desire.
But it was a problem.
She was brave, yes, but her daring was a problem for Alessandro. Maybe she was willing to die,
but he wasn't willing to kill. He had only one goal: to stop Yukiko. Harumi was an obstacle, nothing
else.
“Is there no way to solve this with words?” he asked in a low voice.
“We are here not to talk, but to fight.” Her words were tinged with bitterness.
“I don't want to kill you.”

119
 “Me neither.”
“So... what do you want to do? Do you really want to fight me? You know perfectly well how
this battle will turn out. I won’t lie to you, I won’t take it easy if you agree to fight. You have my
compassion, but we both know I'm a more powerful magus than you. If you face me, you won't
win.”
“And do you think pulling back would be a victory for me? Don’t make me laugh.”
Alessandro told Saber not to intervene, she had to fight Berserker and couldn’t afford to be
injured in a fight against Archer. The boy stepped forward and said to Harumi, in an attempt to
persuade her one last time:
“You can leave, you don't have to fight.”
“You sound like a broken record.”
A magic circle with the dragon symbol appeared under Harumi's feet and the girl was enveloped
in a rainbow-colored light. Harumi jumped to Alessandro who, without batting an eyelid, snapped
his fingers and said:
“Adversarium Ferio.”
The magic push had no effect on the girl and this left Alessandro stunned. Harumi hit him with a
fist so strong that he tipped over. Even Saber was shocked to see how much the girl had improved.
Alessandro recovered and when he perceived the amount of mana consumed by the girl, he realized
that that Magecraft wouldn’t last long; but it was still dangerous.
The girl's speed had increased frighteningly and Alessandro took another punch. The boy fell to
the ground and when he got up he was hit by a kick and then by another punch; Alessandro fell
again. He wasn’t good at physical fights and he had noticed that the girl used a form of karate. He
knew some members of the Coven who trained in Japanese martial arts, he had never been among
them. He had no idea how to stop those attacks and for this he sought distance.
Alessandro snapped his fingers and exclaimed:
“Defendere!”
The magic shield didn't help that much; on the girl's third punch it broke. Alessandro was
knocked out a third time. He couldn’t understand the girl's Magecraft; it wasn't just physical
enhancement, it was something more radical. It was far beyond the Magecraft of Murakawa
Tetsuya.
Alessandro dodged Harumi's kick and, snapping his fingers, exclaimed:
“Acies Gladii!”
Three magical swords were summoned and all three fired like bullets at Harumi; the girl was hit
but in a short time her wounds healed. Alessandro couldn’t believe his eyes, he had never seen
anything like it before.
Harumi was ready to deliver another punch, this time stronger than the previous ones; she didn't
want to kill Alessandro, but she needed to hurt him to force him to retreat. Alessandro saw Harumi
arrive and, albeit with hesitation, snapped his fingers and said:
“Adstringor Sacris.”
A dazzling light blinded Harumi for a few seconds. The girl, disoriented and stunned, fell to the
ground and Archer rushed to help her. In the meantime Alessandro got to his feet again; he wasn't
happy with what he had done, but he had been forced. Harumi was still conscious and tried to cast a
Magecraft, but she couldn't. She felt weak and dizzy; she fell back into Archer's arms.
“What... did you... do to me?”
“The disadvantage of having few Magic Circuits is this: you can be the victim of some
Magecrafts like the one I have just used. It’s nothing special, in fact it has no effect against a magus
who have more than seventy-five Magic Circuits. It's used to train recruits in the Coven. Don't
worry, you'll be fine tomorrow.”
“What have you... done to me, son of a bitch?!”
“Basically I created some kind of ‘plug’ in your Magic Circuits.”
“What?!” she was shocked, she couldn't believe her ears.

120
 “Magecraft is nothing more than the result of a shift of mana from the inside out. When the
magus casts a Magecraft, they manipulate their own mana and project it outside to handle elements
of reality. I blocked that flow. In other words: you won’t be able to cast a Magecraft.”
“How could you?!” she screamed. “You took away my chance to fight! You took away my
possibility of fighting... even of dying for my desire! What kind of person would do such a thing?
What right did you have?!”
“For what it's worth, I'm sorry... but you left me no choice.”
“You’re a coward! You're disrespecting me! You're treating me like I'm weak! But I won't let
you reach the Holy Grail! ARCHER!”
Alessandro didn't want to believe it, Harumi knew that the Servant could no longer use her mana
to refuel; why was she ordering him to attack?
Archer prepared to use his Noble Phantasm. Saber, disobeyed Alessandro and went into action.
“Saber! You have to fight Berserker!” he screamed.
“Don't worry, Comrade, this battle is already won.”
The two thousand ghost archers appeared behind Thomas de Camoys. Caesar took out her
sword; the steel blade emitted a golden light. The two Servants were face to face, ready to give their
all for the sake of their respective Masters.
Great Battle of Azincourt
“Left Wing of Agincourt !”
Sword of Certain Victory
“Crocea Mors !”
A slash that emitted a golden light, Alessandro recognized the resemblance to Berserker's Noble
Phantasm. That Noble Phantasm, however, wasn’t of the Anti-Planet category... but it still left a
noticeable mark on the ground, like some kind of cut.
The archers summoned by Harumi's Servant disappeared. Archer didn't say a word. Blood came
out of his mouth; his armor had been destroyed and the wound he had couldn’t be healed. The man
fell to his knees. He looked up at the girl and with two eyes filled with regret said, faintly:
“Do you... really have no heart... Caesar? Can't you... really recognize the injustice... that's been
done?”
“Injustice is a necessary evil, if the greater good is to be achieved” she replied, sheathing the
sword. “But I’m a forgiving person and I allow you to exchange your last words with your Master.”
Saber reached Alessandro and the two moved away a little to leave some privacy for the two
defeated. The boy didn’t feel good, on the contrary, he knew perfectly well that he had done a
horrible thing, but there was no other way to stop Yukiko. The most he could do, to redeem himself,
was to give the two of them one last moment together.
Harumi was in tears. She flung herself into Archer's arms. He caressed her, pampered her like a
father with a daughter.
“Don't go away, don't abandon me. I need you, Archer! I need you!”
“It's all right, princess... it's all right. You’re a strong girl. Don't go back there, no... you have a
friend, talk to him... get help... trust others... you don't have to give your life away to be happy.
Build your happiness in peace, not in war. Don't accept your fate... don't give up... there's still a
chance...”
“How can I go on? How can I go on if you’re not there with me? I'm afraid, Archer.”
“Don't be afraid... you’re strong and I believe in you. Every crumb of my being believes in you.
Let me go... my life ended long ago... but yours is still there waiting to be lived. Don't give up,
princess. Don’t give up...”
She stood up and with tears in her eyes said:
“I promise you, I won’t give—”
It all happened in an instant. A magical bullet, fired from behind Alessandro Serpi, hit Harumi's
chest. The girl looked at Archer. The man opened his eyes and saw Harumi fall. The girl fell into
Archer's arms:
“Princess? Princess! PRINCESS!!!!”
Alessandro turned and saw Clovis Wolff.

121
 CHAPTER 15

Archer disappeared crying his last tears for Fukano Harumi. Clovis Wolff, the murderer, didn’t
say a word and there wasn’t even a hint of guilt on his face; Alessandro ignored him. He silently
approached that girl's body, bent down and closed her eyes. There was a cry of sadness inside him,
but screaming would lead nowhere. All the tears that could’ve been cried were held back; all words
that could be said were kept silent.
Alessandro saw himself in that girl. He saw himself and his fate in that lifeless body that he
wanted to save. Once that body was a brave girl who had suffered and who had fought her fears to
be able to change her destiny; that same fate had snatched her life from her hands and made her fall
asleep on that cold asphalt.
The words he had heard from her mouth had become a floating echo in the air that penetrated his
memory, winding his mind and embittering his heart. He would never hear that voice again. He
would never fight that girl again. He would never see her in her eyes again. It was a strange feeling.
She was there, but she was no longer there with him. That was a single lifeless body that had been
inhabited by Harumi Fukano, the Master of Archer who wanted to change her own fate.
Alessandro got up. He turned to Clovis Wolff. The man fired a magic bullet from the palm of his
hand.
“Defendere.” The magic barrier protected Alessandro. “Adversarium Ferio,” he said snapping
his fingers.
Clovis Wolff was pushed to the ground. Alessandro approached. The man raised his head and
opened his mouth to say:
“...”
“Acies Gladii.”
Three magical swords pierced Clovis Wolff’s legs. Alessandro didn’t feel even the slightest
empathy and was as if deaf to the screams of that man. Part of him was already getting used to
seeing that expression of pain that deformed the face of that man. Alessandro snapped his fingers
again and repeated:
“Acies Gladii.”
The magical blades pierced the man's arms. He, in tears, cried out:
“...”
“Aliquem In Ignem Conicio.”
After snapping his fingers, a flame appeared on them; as if he were pouring water on the ground,
he sprinkled Clovis with fire and the man burned. He screamed silently.
The smell of burnt flesh was bothering Alessandro’s nose. He was sick of seeing that man suffer,
it was a bore for his eyes.
“Suspende.”
Clovis was half burned, aching and in tears. Alessandro bent down and, with those impatient
eyes, looked at him without uttering a single word. Suddenly he felt a shiver run down his spine,
followed by a strong burning still there behind; Saber noticed that the snake symbol was lighting up
more than normal. Alessandro had a heavy dizziness. He had a hard time moving his eyes and his
head started to hurt. He felt something inside him that was moving, something that was taking
control of his mind. He felt like a snake trapped in a skin cage, unable to moult. Alessandro put his
hands over his head; he couldn't understand what was happening to him. His mouth suddenly
moved by itself and spoke these words:
“Miðgarðsormr”
He felt his Magic Circuits activate. The mana was running and about to come out. It was a
Magecraft.
Alessandro fainted.

122
 “—rade!”
It was Saber's voice. She seemed so far away. Alessandro could hear her but he couldn't open his
eyes. He felt like he was enchanted by a dream made up of millions of black snakes. He was lying
on that slimy charcoal bed, his ears filled with constant hissing. He couldn't figure out where the
front or back was; the above or the below. He tried to move, but he couldn't. There were no physical
chains holding him still, he could’ve left, but he couldn't... because he didn't want to.
“—mrade!”
Alessandro saw emerging from that sea of snakes, an enchanting white creature; a giant viper
that looked almost silver its eyes were like made of amber. This creature made him feel like a flea,
but he wasn’t afraid, on the contrary, he almost wanted to touch it. He reached out and he was
touched by another hand, one as cold as winter. He turned and saw this girl with her body partly
dark skin and partly covered with white scales. Her long black hair, wild, ran over the snakes. The
two amber eyes, with the pupils of a viper, watched him intently.
“You’ll die, Alessandro Serpi... you’ll never see the sunrise...”
Her voice was at the same time sweet but terrifying.
“—omrade!”
Saber's voice was getting closer and closer. The girl disappeared. Alessandro tried to call her to
find out what would happen to him, but he couldn’t speak.
“Comrade!”

Alessandro opened his eyes. He was in Saber's arms. When she saw him recover, she hugged
him in tears.
“Thanks to the gods! You’re alive!”
“What... happened?”
“Um... that man... is dead.”
“Did I... kill him?”
“It’s... um...” There was something she couldn't say.
“How long... have I been unconscious?” he asked with a low voice.
“Minutes. Two, maybe three... not very much.”
“Where is he?”
“There...”
Alessandro turned and saw Clovis Wolff's body, but something was wrong. He got up for a
better check and was speechless to learn that the corpse had become like a statue made entirely of
obsidian. He asked for explanations, but Saber didn't know what to say; in reality the girl didn’t
want to tell him anything, after all she had seen something that even she couldn’t explain and that
had terrified her.
“Are you okay?” she asked, worried.
“I’m... fine, I guess. I can't tell you what really happened to me, I'm sorry I made you worry. I
promise it won't happen again.”
“It’s okay, Comrade.”
“Well then...”
He looked at Harumi Fukano's corpse. He dedicated a silent prayer to her and then, without
hesitation, left for that door. The door to the abbey. The gateway to Britain's Valhalla.

Alessandro and Saber entered Westminster Abbey. The immense church with tall stone columns,
gothic arches and wide naves was as silent as a cemetery, only the echo of the footsteps of
Alessandro and Saber could be heard. The two stopped in the middle of the immense latin cross that
was the shape of the cathedral, in front of them there was Kumahira Yukiko. The girl showed a
slight evil grin on her mouth. Alessandro was bothered by that look devoid of compassion. She
began:
“You killed Harumi. So we are... the only ones left in this war.”

123
 “You had it all planned, didn't you? The death of the girl and also of that magus. It was all your
idea, wasn't it? All you expected was to see me suffer,” he said these words in a tone of reproach.
“Well, my dear, it's not like the world revolves around you. I just wanted to get rid of the girl and
that Servant of her; as for Clovis, he was a wild card and I don't like gambling, I prefer to have
everything in order.”
“I’m deeply disgusted with the way you act, you treat people as if they were objects. If you don't
like someone, you kill them or use them for your own ends. How can a person give so little value to
human life? To the freedom of a human?”
“People are objects, Alessandro. All humans are objects. They’re passive, not active. They
believe they’re in control of their life and they believe they have freedom, but they have neither
control nor freedom. The choices a single person makes are always choices influenced by
something else. There’s always an external crank that pushes our choices, none of us choose
because of freedom. A certain choice exists only if certain conditions exist for that choice to be
made. Freedom is an illusion. A dream.”
“How can you say such a thing? Each of us has the power to change their destiny. Each
individual has their own dreams and chooses to make them come true. This is why there is a Holy
Grail War.”
“Individualism is the fable of fools. Do you have any idea how big the universe is? Do you have
any idea how vast the nature of this planet is? Do you have a vague idea of how many things
happen that aren’t under your control, both inside and outside of you, that can alter the way you
perceive yourself, others and the world around you? A Greek philosopher, perhaps Aristotle, argued
that the ego was nothing more than something that passively underwent emotions without having
control of them. Do you know why? Because we don't decide which emotions to feel.”
“This is pure speculation—”
“Is it? Tell me how many humans can decide what to feel at any given time. If you’re telling me
that humans cannot decide which emotions to feel, then there’s a problem. Emotions are behind our
choices, but if emotions are not under our control then the choices we make are not free.”
“But we don't decide following emotions, we can also decide following logic and rationality.”
“And what is logical and rational? How do you define the logic or rationality of a choice? How
can you tell when a choice is logical or made rationally? Can you somehow define the difference
between an irrational and a rational choice? Rational is something that respects human nature,
perhaps? Well, then, should we define what it means to ‘respect human nature’, or not?”
“Respecting human nature means respecting every single individual as such. It means respecting
life, respecting the freedom of choice and the freedom to be who you want.”
“Yeah... I don’t buy that,” she said in a slightly ironic tone. “There are many choices called
‘rational’ and which also break, in more ways than one, those things you’ve listed. I could tell you
about wars, but I guess it would be enough for you to say that there are wars that can be justified,
even if the concept of ‘justifying a war’ doesn’t make much sense to me, but still... how about a
game? Let's call it: ‘Daddy Wanted to Sacrifice Me’.”
“Let me guess, do you want to ask me if what he wanted to do to me is rational or irrational to
me? To me it’s irrational, no father should kill his own child.”
“Well, Alessandro, I don't like this simpleton philosophy. Let's raise the bar, mm? I ask you a
very simple question: why did your father want to kill you?”
“To obtain the Grail, I think...”
“Are you sure, buddy?” she said jokingly. “Didn't they tell you anything? Weird. Well,
apparently I'll have to do it all by myself. Our father had an obsession with the Holy Grail, a real
obsession. He knew of the link between the Serpi family and that relic and intended to summon the
Grail by offering it blood.”
“Yes, I know that—”
“However, what you don't know is why he wanted to have the Holy Grail. The answer: to have a
better world. And I know you don't believe it, I can see it in your eyes, but just know that he,

124
possessing only half the truth, had no idea of the destructive power of the Holy Grail. He was
ignorant, but one of the good ones, you might say. He only knew one thing: that the Holy Grail
would create a better world for all of us. He yearned for a world without wars, without famines,
without poverty, without disease and without fear. But to do so he had to make a sacrifice: you.
What is more rational, Alessandro? Save the whole world and sacrifice your child, or live with your
child and let the whole world die?”
“What is the rational choice for you? The first?”
“This is the point. None of the two. Neither is a rational choice, they’re both irrational because
he would never have come to that choice without an obsession with the Grail. But he didn't choose
to be obsessed, it just happened. Perhaps due to a random event in the universe or... in his brain.
What I'm telling you, Alessandro, is that rationality is just an illusion. We call ‘rational’ only what
suits us. But in reality our every choice is caused by something that is beyond our control, and
therefore our every choice is, in fact, not free. The person you are now is just a coincidence, not a
fruit of free will. You are as you are only because you’re the result of choices made in the heat of
events that you were not in control of; choices fueled by emotions and conditions in your brain that
you were not in control of; all things that in turn are not attributable to you but to something that
happened before you and without your noticing it.”
“And what about morals and ethics? And what about technological progress? All irrational?
Don't you see rationality in science either?”
“Morals and ethics are constantly changing. Your Servant comes from a time when having slaves
was normal and slaughtering people was glorified. I believe that the famous Conquest of Gaul is an
example of how morals and ethics are not very objective.”
“And science?”
“Well, just because two plus two equals four doesn't mean you're not irrational. Science has a
specific purpose and to fulfill it, it has to follow certain rules; but the people who do science are not
science. A scientist doesn't have a specific purpose to fulfill, or are you telling me they do? Are you
telling me they follow a set of rules just because they do something that is ‘rational’?”
“I’m—”
“But be careful with your answer, because if a man who does science thinks as if he’s science
itself, then it means that this man has no free will ergo he’s a tool. An object.”
“Okay, Yukiko, and how can you connect irrationality with being of objects? How can you think
that a human being can be considered an object?” he asked nervously.
“Well, let's play another game: You’re a Ball Now.” It was clear that she was enjoying herself.
She behaved like she had the absolute truth in hand. “You, now, are a ball that, by some miracle of
nature, can think. Let's say you’re on the ground, outdoors, and suddenly you start moving. You, as
a ball, say: ‘Oh, I'm moving because I'm free to do it.’ But, by chance, you discover that the wind
exists and that it’s what was moving you and it wasn’t you who chose to move. So, dear ball, what
do you do?”
“If I think like a human being, I invent a science to understand the wind.”
“But that's the problem: you’re a ball, not a human. You don't have the limbs to build tools that
can manipulate the wind, and you can't travel freely either. You have the mind of a human but not
the body. So what does the ball do? It gets depressed, it dies inside, it’s absorbed by its own
emptiness. It can't do anything else.”
“What’s the point of this? I don’t under—”
“You, earlier, talked about science and its ‘rationality’. But let me ask you a very simple
question: did humanity, in your opinion, freely decide to devote itself to science?”
“Well, there are humans who do it and others who don't, it's subjective.”
“Subjective? If it were subjective there would never have been technological and scientific
progress. All humanity, Alessandro, tends towards science, it has been like this since the dawn of
time. But why? For a rational decision? No. Because science allows us to survive longer, and every
animal species fights to survive. Science is for mankind like the poison for a snake. It has no reason

125
to be there, it has no purpose other than its practical use. If humans had had a tail, technological
progress would’ve followed a completely different path. Humans didn’t choose science, it was
already written in their fate. It was, you might say, forced upon them by chance.”
“Or God...”
“God is the expression of a need to find a rational explanation for the processes of the world. But
the truth is: things happen by accident. There’s no pattern that always repeats in the same way. If
that were the case, all the flowers would bloom at the same time, but we know that this isn’t the
case; as we know that not all children are born healthy and that not all brains think alike.”
“But how can you say that we’re objects?”
“Because an object, like us, is not in control of its own destiny. An object is always subject to
movements and reacts based on these: an object can break, bend, burn and so on. In the same way,
we react emotionally and these emotions determine our choices and change the way we perceive
reality. So yes, Alessandro, humans are objects.”
“Even Harumi?”
“Oh, please,” she asserted with disgust “if you're trying to make me feel sorry for that girl for
what she went through, then you're on the wrong track. I have no pity for her, just as I have no pity
for her uncle, because both are objects to me. Just like you. An object.”
“And what about you?”
Alessandro had been waiting for that moment from the first time he had met that girl. His heart
raced with anxiety; Alessandro wanted to find out who that girl really was; why he couldn't feel her
magical energy.
She smiled. She grabbed her right sleeve, which was longer than her left one and completely
covered her arm and hand, and tore it. Alessandro opened his eyes wide at the sight of that arm
identical to that of a skeleton, its color reminded him of mercury.
“You're not even... human,” he said shocked.
“I’m an Imitation, Alessandro.”
“An.. Imitation? What do you mean?”
“Well, that's one of those things you should be grateful to our dad for.”

“You know, Alessandro, you weren't the only one to suffer because of our father, in fact, I too
suffered my dose of pain. His obsession with the Holy Grail made me his victim and he
experimented on me, specifically to make me a good sacrificial victim. Do you know what it feels
like when you get a Magic Circuit transplant? There are no sedatives that can help you during the
operation. The pain you suffer cannot be stopped in any way. I don't even know how to explain the
pain to you... it’s like feeling your own flesh being torn apart piece by piece, you feel your bones
breaking and you feel, above all, death. Every. Single. Time.”
She wasn't sad when she talked about it, from her expression it almost seemed like she wasn't
giving it any importance.
“I was twelve when he started these experiments. His goal was to have a sacrificial victim
identical to his son: a magus with two hundred and fifty-five Magic Circuits. Thus, every month,
he implanted ten Magic Circuits in me. Being magical rituals they left no marks on my body... and
he knew how to shut my mouth. So, at fifteen, I had about two hundred and sixty Magical
Circuits. And he decided to sacrifice me.”
“But it didn’t work.”
“And he decided to use an alchemical practice known as the Miracle of Eden. He used my
corpse, the mercury and his blood to make me... this. An Imitation. A doll.”
“So you’re already dead,” he murmured in shock.
“Exactly. I’m fake. Yukiko Kumahira died at fifteen. The girl in front of you is just a
simulacrum. This body will never change, this body will never give life and will never know death.
I’m nothing.”
“But you have a soul, otherwise you couldn't use Magecraft.”

126
 “No, I’ve a fake soul. A Mercurial Soul. It’s something artificial that can contain an infinite
number of Magic Circuits and you, like any other magus, cannot perceive the magical energy that I
possess because it doesn’t come from a soul. Each soul is an emanation of the World Soul and all
souls are connected to it via an ‘umbilical cord’ called the Spiritus. The perception of mana is like
an animal's ability to smell the presence of another animal. You cannot perceive me because I’m
non-existent. I'm not tied to this world, I'm not tied to any world. I’m not like the homunculi who
have fragments of a soul, and therefore are linked to this world.”
“But why did he do this to you?” He didn't know whether to pity her or not.
“Because he felt guilty, I guess. Having an artificial soul, and no longer having any purpose, I
decided to continue the transplants of Magic Circuits on myself. The soul was fake and therefore I
no longer suffered pain. So why stop at two hundred and sixty? Why not go further? For three
years, in secret, I continued, to implant to myself Magic Circuits. The day I killed our father, I had
eight hundred and forty Magic Circuits.”
He was speechless. He had never heard of a magus with so many Magic Circuits. Not even the
magi of older families could’ve more than three hundred of those.
“Of course, after killing him, I took his two hundred and fifty Magic Circuits,” she said.
“No way...”
“So, big brother, do you have any other questions before the show starts?” she asked with that
sadistic grin.
“You said earlier that our father only knew half of the truth about the Holy Grail, what does that
mean? What can that relic do?”
“It destroys.”
“What?”
“Everything.” That cold response was followed by a short laugh. “The Holy Grail of Yggdrasil
is not used to fulfill wishes but to destroy the world, or rather, reality. When that Holy Grail is
summoned, Nidhogg will be released from his cage and destroy the entire universe.”
“So is this your purpose?! Destroy everything? Why?”
“Curiosity. I want to see if Void is possible.”
“No, you can forget it! You can have all the ideas you want about humans, about me, about the
world, about fate... I’m sorry that you had to suffer and I don’t cry for the death of that man who
was my father. But I won't let you destroy everything just for your own enjoyment! I will put a
end to your madness and eliminate you!”
“Glad to hear that.” She approached slowly, her footsteps echoing in that deathly silence. “The
show finally begins.”
Suddenly Berserker broke through a wall of the cathedral and attacked Saber bringing her out of
the building. Alessandro, who had only been distracted for a moment, was kicked in the face and
flew to the ground. The girl, laughing, came up hopping like a child, she stopped in front of him.
“What's up, sweetie, can't you keep your eyes on me?”
“Adversarium Ferio.”
The magic push knocked the girl down, but only for a moment. Yukiko jumped up and, cleaning
her skirt, she showed that demonic smile.
“Jag är Oövervinnlig.”
“Adversarium Ferio!” he screamed.
It was too late. The magic push had no effect on the girl.
“Jag är Stark,” she said smiling.
Yukiko hit Alessandro with such force that he lost his breath for a few seconds; he didn't have
time to recover and was hit by a spinning kick. Alessandro fell to the ground, stunned, unable to put
his ideas in order; he was grabbed by the leg and thrown against a column. He felt his back make a
bad noise, he could still move but his legs were shaking and his muscles were tightened in a grip of
pain. He tried to get up, but was immediately hit in the face by Yukiko's boot.

127
 Alessandro was grabbed by the neck, lifted and then immediately knocked to the ground, his
nose crushed to the floor. As soon as Yukiko saw the blood on the boy's face, a smile deformed her
mouth; the girl took him by the neck and lifted him off the ground. Alessandro, even if stunned,
realized that the girl was holding him still with her skeletal arm; he thought it was frail and tried to
hit it. It was hard as steel. The girl released her grip and hit the boy with another kick. He flew to
the ground, he felt he had broken a rib.
“What's going on, sweetie? Didn't you want to stop me?”
Alessandro tried to get up but every limb of his body was crossed by severe pain. Each
movement was too heavy and every time he breathed he felt his lungs squeeze. Yukiko was like a
cat playing with a mouse. She felt an almost erotic form of pleasure in seeing Alessandro suffer.
She walked over to him and kicked him in the stomach.
“You’re disappointing as an opponent, I would’ve expected more from the most talented magus
in the Coven.”
Alessandro was crawling to get away from the girl, he needed space to regain his strength.
Yukiko blocked his way and, bending down to look him in the face, she said:
“Come on, come on, we haven't started having fun yet.”

Saber had just been hit by Berserker's powerful punch, she hadn't expected such an attack but
now she was ready to give her all. The two Servants, outside the abbey, exchanged their first attacks
and neither had a definite advantage over the other; both were fast, but while Berserker relied
heavily on physical strength, Saber preferred to be more technical. Saber's style wasn’t that of an
ordinary swordsman, there was no well-defined technique, and the girl combined kicks and punches
with blade attacks; with her kicks she aimed at the legs, to make the opponent lose balance, while
the punches were useful when the sword was blocked.
Berserker, on the other hand, never kicked and relied on those punches she threw like a boxer of
sorts, even if there were no boxing techniques in her fighting style. The attacks from Berserker were
very fast and were so strong that the ground shook.
The battle stopped only when Saber, after knocking Berserker off balance, managed to strike a
blow that, if it hadn’t been parried by Berserker, would’ve been fatal. Saber jumped back to avoid
being hit. The girl was learning not to rely too much on her skill which gave her an advantage
against European Heroic Spirits. Saber was able to anticipate Berserker's moves, yes, but Berserker
was much faster than Lancer, extremely faster; she was an experienced warrior. Sometimes Saber
was able to anticipate moves, but at other times she failed and had to rely on luck. But always
relying on luck was really risky, especially against an opponent of that caliber.
“I’m happy to face you, Berserker. You’re not an opponent like the others... you’re the challenge
I was looking for.”
The flames enveloping Berserker's fists began to stir. Saber felt a release of mana. She braced
herself for the worst. Berserker, getting into position, shouted:
My Hell is Eternal
“Ashes of Camelot !”
Two jets of flame were fired from the hands of Berserker, a flame so powerful that it instantly
melted everything that was thirty meters from her and that was in front of her. Saber managed to
dodge the mighty Noble Phantasm and, noticing the strength of those flames, commented in an
ecstatic voice:
“Those really are the flames of a dragon. I knew it.”
Berserker immediately noticed Saber and tried to punch her; Saber, with an almost arrogant way,
moved a little and tripped her, just by moving her leg. Berserker got up from the ground angry at
that offensive gesture and shouted:
“Fight me! Don't run away! Coward!”
“Your reason is coming back. Your madness is weaker than your mind, I see. I guess this is due
to the fact that you’ve never been a person dominated by emotions... this would explain your
marked bipolarity. You’re, de facto, a Servant with two personalities.”

128
 “Why are you talking to me as if you knew me? You don’t know anything about me, Saber...”
“I think I know you very well.”
Saber, dodged Berserker’s punch, then another one and, with good aim, struck a blow that broke
the rival's helmet. Berserker walked away. When the dragon's head broke, a face similar to Saber's
was uncovered. It was the face of a pale young girl with dull blond hair; her eyes were yellow,
reminiscent of a dragon's, and there were scales on her cheeks.
Saber, with a satisfied smile, said, “Finally we are face to face, King of the Knights: Arthur
Pendragon!”

CHAPTER 16

Gaius Julius Caesar and Arthur Pendragon were face to face. The King of Tyrants, the one who
had shaped Rome and started a dynasty of emperors, stood before the King of the Knights, the one
who defended Britain from invaders and who was the model of many English sovereigns. Saber
raised the blade and pointed it at Berserker with a gesture of defiance.
“We are here, you and me, face to face, after a long time. I've waited a long time to face the
legendary Lucius Artorius Castus.”
“That's not my name.”
“It is, because you’re Roman in blood and you’re also my last descendant. The last Caesar. The
name you own is just an alteration of your family name: Artoria. You belong to a gens called
Artoria and your name is Lucius Artorius Castus, but apparently they kept it from you. Who did it?
The mage? They raised you and told you a beautiful tale about your family, but your name is fake...
even your ‘surname’ is nothing more than an epithet meaning ‘supreme commander’. The truth is
that you’re not a daughter of Britain, but of Rome.”
“You're just trying to confuse me.”
“I'm trying to remind you who you really are.”
“Why? Why do you care?”
“I saw many things the day before my death. I was carried into the ether by Jupiter and he,
together with Aeneas, showed me the fruit of my deeds, the destiny of Rome and my descendants.
The last thing I saw was you. I saw your kingdom, your successes but also your failure. Even now,
looking back on it, I can't help but pity you, because you’re a failure as a king. I never expected to
see such a childish person in charge, and I've seen so many—”
“Shut up! I'm tired of hearing you speak, Caesar. Now is the time for you to die!”
Berserker's fist collided with Saber's blade, this was a great chance for Caesar; Saber, with an
agile movement, passed behind the opponent and struck a blow; Berserker had already moved. The
pace of the battle was increasing. The two warriors were hitting faster and harder, but neither
seemed to have the ultimate advantage. Neither was tired, in fact, they were both determined to
carry on this duel for eternity.
Berserker then unsheathed the weapon. The sword lit up. Saber smiled, heedless of danger, and
prepared to use her Noble Phantasm. Both blades emitted a golden light. Both warriors were ready
to unleash a devastating attack that would ensure victory. Both girls had eyes of fire and ice in their
veins. The time had come. Both Heroic Spirits named their Noble Phantasms.
Sword of Certain Victory
“Crocea Mors !”
Deicide
“No More Avalon !”

The abbey shook for a moment. Yukiko smiled. Alessandro was wounded, tired and unable to
fight. The girl had drawn a magical symbol on the floor using silver dust and placing four crystals at
the four cardinal points. A wooden cup was placed in the center of that symbol.

129
 “In their origins,” she said “magical circles, called zisurrû, were nothing more than means of
protecting people from evil spirits. With the passage of time, and with the rise of the Middle Ages,
the magic circles became tools to summon demons or angels. In the Age of Gods they didn’t evoke
them because, technically, demons and angels already lived in the world of humans.” The girl
paused. “The wooden cup you see is just a simulacrum.”
The crystals began to glow intermittently.
“It's starting. Thanks to the amount of mana in this place, the magic circle was activated without
the need for a magic formula. Now, Alessandro, all the deaths that have been caused by the Holy
Grail War are about to bear fruit.”
Alessandro tried to get up but Yukiko immediately hit him with a kick. The boy fell to the
ground again.
“Don’t you understand? You’ve lost.”
“No...” he said “I can still stop you...”
“You can’t.”
“I will stop you, Yukiko!”
Alessandro got up and ran towards the girl, but his legs were too weak and he fell at her feet. He
could no longer fight, he could no longer make even the easiest movement. There was nothing left
for him but to pray for Saber and hope for her help. Only together could they defeat Yukiko and
save the world.
At that moment someone entered. Alessandro heard the sound of armor and saw a feeling of
surprise in Yukiko's eyes. He couldn't see who the third person was, but he had already drawn his
conclusions, there was no doubt: Saber had come back to him. He internally let out a sigh of relief
and thanked God for that miracle. He looked up, ready to see the fear in that girl's eyes; he asked for
nothing more.
A smile.
The girl looked at him.
She was smiling.
Alessandro moved his head and saw the black armor.
It was Berserker.
“No...” His eyes got wet. “Saber... Saber! SABER!”
With all his strength he got up and, when he turned around, he saw Saber, outside the abbey, on
her knees; she was disappearing. She smiled at him sadly, with tears in her eyes, and disappeared
without saying a word.
“Caesar...”
“Caesar is dead,” Berserker said.
Alessandro furiously tried to attack Berserker but was immediately knocked down. Yukiko was
genuinely amused. She had won, she couldn't ask for better.
“The time has come, my dear brother, be happy because this is the first time you’ll see the great
Nidhogg.”
The ground began to shake, the crystals gave off a vermilion light and blood overflowed from
that wooden cup. The silver dust began to sway and the earthquake increased in intensity, tearing
the abbey piece by piece. The wooden cup rose into the air and emitted sounds that suggested that
something inside it was moving; the cup was breaking. That wood, like a shell, broke and revealed
the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil: a black cup, with silver decorations and with spikes that adorned it.
That relic didn’t seem sacred at all, rather it seemed to have been created by demons. Roots
emerged from the ground, tangled, bent, crushed and formed a kind of altar upon which the Holy
Grail rested.
Yukiko was ecstatic and admired that Grail with a boundless smile. The girl took the relic, lifted
it up and invoked the beast:
“Þar kømr inn dimmi dreki fljúgandi naðr fránn, neðan frá Niðafjöllum. Berr sér í fjöðrum flýgr
völl yfir Níðhöggr nái nú mun hon søkkvask.”

130
 The Grail vomited up a liquid substance, black as oil. Yukiko placed the Grail on the altar and let
that kind of liquid keep flowing out. A puddle had formed. A black, serpentine figure came out of
that pool and grew bigger and bigger, breaking through the roof of the abbey. Alessandro was
terrified at the sight of that creature. It looked like a snake, but it had dragon's teeth and sixteen legs
with long, blood-stained claws. Skeletons were impaled on both the horns and the spikes that were
on the beast's back. The monster, with black scales, gave off a stench of a corpse and had two eyes
that were the same color as a flame. Nidhogg turned its immense muzzle towards that tiny boy and,
in a monstrous voice, uttered these words:
“Sá Útvaldi, your fate doesn’t end here. Helvíti awaits you in another world... in another time.”
Yukiko looked at Alessandro with two almost shocked eyes. It was as if she didn't know that
Nidhogg could speak.
At that moment, Nidhogg raised its muzzle to the sky, opened its mouth and blew a fire as black
as coal. The flame devoured the stars, killed the moon and burned all living things.
Alessandro saw his body turn to dust. It didn't hurt. At first he didn't feel his legs and then he lost
his arms. The last thing he saw was Nidhogg becoming a skeleton and shattering to the ground.
Darkness fell.
The end of the world had come.

CHAPTER 17

Was it a dream? No, it was more like a nightmare. A young man in his twenties, named
Alessandro Serpi, got up on the bed in his room; one of the many that were inside the Coven
Abbey. He had dreamed of a girl with white hair and red eyes; he had dreamed of a battle—an epic
battle with heroes involved. It was something absurd... yet it also seemed so real.
Alessandro got out of bed with a headache. He took off his pajamas, put on a bathrobe and
headed for the bathrooms. After a quick shower, he got dressed for the day. While he was preparing
himself he kept thinking about that nightmare and, for just a moment, he had the impression that he
wasn’t really alive; it was a strange feeling. He rationalized everything with a simple explanation:
the death of his father. He had learned of his death only a few weeks ago and, since then, he had had
quite a few difficulties sleeping. Maybe that nightmare was related to that trauma.
He took a deep breath and began his day.

January 19, 2021

Alessandro walked down the long corridor completely ignoring his brethren. He opened a door
to his left, climbed a staircase and reached the room where there were already other confreres of the
Coven who were having breakfast. There was a nun who served food and Alessandro took a simple
salad with tomatoes; he sat down, opened a bottle of water and ate.
The room wasn’t very big, it could accommodate a maximum of thirty people and it was lit only
by the sun's lights passing through the windows. The stone walls, dating back to medieval times,
were decorated with representations of saints and also with replicas of ancient weapons. The entire
abbey was partly underground and partly above; it really depended on the rooms.
The structure had been built in Monte Cavo and consisted of a church, which had a similar
appearance to that of San Pietro di Zuri10, a smaller building where people ate, and it was located to
the east of the church, and finally, to south of the first two, there was a building called the
Sanctuary; it looked like the Rotonda di San Tomè11. Underground there was a network of stone
corridors where the various members of the Coven lived.

10
a church located in Sardinia, in Ghilarza.
11
another church located, this time, in Lombardy, in Almenno San Bartolomeo; also called ‘Rotunda of St. Thomas’.

131
 The entire headquarters, called the Coven Abbey, was surrounded by a magical barrier that
prevented humans from perceiving the place with the five senses and that gave them a feeling of
fear when they got too close; a brilliant way to prevent ordinary humans from discovering the secret
of magic. The Coven, however, had no problem using more violent methods to keep magic a secret.
After breakfast, Alessandro went out for a walk. Coven members were not prohibited from
wandering through the woods, but they weren’t to be seen by any human. Alessandro had a favorite
spot where he sat to admire Lake Albano and the wonderful wood around it; this season the trees
appeared to have been dyed white.
He was unable to stay in the same place all the time. He felt locked in a cage and the worst thing
is that he was forced to share that prison with other people; he always felt surrounded, watched,
suffocated... when he went outside he felt alive. He felt free. Part of him wanted to run—escape
tempted him to an almost erotic level—but if he did he would lose his only family and he didn't
want to be alone. He was afraid of loneliness. He hated that place, but it was better than nothing.
The magic books were kept in the Sanctuary and Alessandro, when he came back from his walk,
loved to go over there to read something; anything. Whether it was books on the history of magic or
philosophy, whether it was trivial or complicated, he didn't care. Better to have your head on a book
than to pray.
The training took place outdoors. He stood in front of a straw mannequin, snapped his fingers
and said:
“Obscuro.”
The mannequin became invisible but only for a few seconds and then reappeared. A man, Marco
Lombardo, had seen Alessandro and said:
“The Magecraft of the Coven is very powerful in the hands of an expert magus like you.”
The man, in his seventies, placed his hand on Alessandro’s shoulder. He wore the typical priestly
clothes, they were red in color since he was of rank Senex. The Senex stood between the Discipulus
and the Grand Master. The first wore black, the second white.
Alessandro had no intention of speaking to Marco Lombardo, but he had sensed that their
meeting wasn’t accidental.
“The Grand Master Marco Paolino III was considered an excellent magus,” Lombardo said “one
of the strongest, and it was he who taught this type of unique Magecraft to the Coven. People like
him can change the Coven and make it stronger. People like him... and like you.”
“You need me, don't you? For what?” he asked.
“A war, Alessandro,” he replied with a dark voice.
“A war...?”
“The Holy Grail War.”
That name was enough to make the boy tremble. He had no intention of taking part in a Holy
Grail War and would’ve quietly refused if he hadn't heard these words:
“The Grand Master wants you to take part in the war.”
He was obliged. If he had rebelled he would’ve been killed or worse. He had no choice.
“Come with me” Lombardo said.
The man handed Alessandro a sheet on which there was a copy of the declaration of war. The
overseer was a certain Veronica Drakenberg; Alessandro knew that name, but he didn't know why.
“London? It says here that the Holy Grail War will be held in London.” Alessandro was
confused. “Besides, why is it called the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil? What does Norse mythology
have to do with the Holy Grail?”
“It doesn't matter, Alessandro, these are minutiae. What matters is that you will participate and
win the war.”
The church didn’t have an immense cross inside, but a statue of a lion holding a snake in its
jaws; the animal had a paw positioned on a representation of the world. The Grand Master,
Giovanni Monteverdi X, stood in front of that statue. When he heard the wooden door open, he
turned to see Alessandro Serpi approaching with Marco Lombardo.

132
 “Beatus Leonis.”
“Benedictus Sis.”
After the salute, the Grand Master explained the situation to Alessandro and ordered him to take
part in the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil. Nine Masters would be involved in this war, so that meant
there would be nine Servants: Saber, Archer, Rider, Assassin, Lancer, Caster, Berserker, Specter,
and Devourer.
Alessandro was tasked with taking the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil and delivering it to the Coven.
He couldn’t refuse in any way. He passively listened to the words of the Grand Master and, in the
end, he was given the relic that would allow him to summon Saber. The desire to escape became
more alive at that moment and it was more painful to suffocate it.
Alessandro accepted his assignment with remission and left the Grand Master and Marco
Lombardo taking with him a baggage of terror.
Participating in the Holy Grail War meant dying and he didn’t want to die.

His name was Friedrich Wolff, a young magus who had managed to escape from a terrible
prison. Now he was forced to go back. On a cold winter morning, he set his feet on the land of
Hamburg... his hometown.

January 20, 2021

Friedrich had gone to the Hamburg cemetery to visit the grave of his older brother, Clovis Wolff,
who had committed suicide in November, probably because he wasn’t strong enough to endure the
sad loss of his daughter who had died of tuberculosis. He hadn't taken part in the funeral but he
didn't want to disrespect his beloved brother and so, that sad January, he brought flowers to the
grave and remained silent.
A man, at the exit of the cemetery, was waiting for Friedrich: Herbert Schmidt.
“Why did you come back, Friedrich?”
“I'm here just for my brother, don’t get strange ideas.”
“But you didn't show up at the funeral.”
“I was in New York” he answered abruptly.
“Were you afraid to come back?”
“No, but I don't like you. I don't want to have anything to do with the Rote Mäntel anymore.”
Friedrich passed close to Herbert and then left the cemetery. Herbert followed him along the
road.
“I'm sorry for your brother—”
“I don’t want to talk with you.”
“I know you don't like me, but I need to talk to you about something important.”
“I already know what you want from me... I'm not stupid.”
Friedrich turned to Herbert and, without saying anything else, he shook his head slowly and then
resumed his step.
“What do you mean?” Herbert asked, confused.
“I’ve heard that the Rote Mäntel and the Coven have put their hands on the research of a friend
of mine, a French magus. You know Dorian Benard, right?”
“So you... know about the war.”
“The Holy Grail War? Yes, I know... but I'm not interested.”
Friedrich was getting nervous and Herbert told him:
“You could participate and win, everything would be forgiven if you did—”
“No.”
“Do it for your brother—”
Friedrich, in a burst of anger, took Herbert by his tie and dragged him to the wall and said:
“Measure your next words, because I could hurt you a lot.”

133
 “Why are you so aggressive? Clovis was my friend! A disciple of mine!”
“Nice words, Herbert, but we both know you've always preferred loyalty to friendship. Do you
think I don't know about the rotten you carry with you? I know about the things you did for Rote
Mäntel.”
“I did what needed to be done, but I always respected Clovis! And what about you, huh? You
preferred to stay in New York rather than attend your brother's funeral!”
“Ah!” Friedrich exclaimed. “So the Rote Mäntel never tried to assassinate me?”
“It’s—”
“Don't waste your breath, it's not worth it. I'm only here because I know you've been busy with
the Holy Grail War lately... I simply used this opportunity to visit my brother. Let’s not pretend that
we’re friends, because you and I are not.”
Friedrich let go and left.

Friedrich had reached the airport, he was ready to return to New York. Shortly before he had
moved to the hotel to take the case in which he had his classical guitar.
An hour had passed and Friedrich was still sitting, waiting for his flight, regretting that he had
left the hotel early. He got up to go to the toilet just a moment, took his case behind and headed for
the first public bathroom he could find.
He was washing his face and, after drying himself, he heard the barking of a dog. He turned
around, there was no one. There was no dog in sight when he opened the bathroom door. He heard
barking again, coming from inside the room.
“What the hell is it?”
There seemed to be a dog on the other side of the wall, but how was it possible? Friedrich
touched the wall, it was solid, it wasn't fake. He still heard barking and, suddenly, saw a strange
drawing appear. It was a demonic symbol. The symbol of Glasya-Labolas. He was glad he still
remembered the demonology lessons, but he didn't intend to stay in there. As soon as he tried to
open the door, he realized he was stuck inside the bathroom. He immediately sought another way to
escape, but at that moment magical arms came out of that symbol on the wall and attempted to grab
him. Friedrich didn’t panic and immediately used a Magecraft:
“Feuerwolf!”
Friedrich touched the ground with one hand and a spiritual wolf appeared; the creature was
enveloped in a mantle of flames and spat a ball of fire from its mouth. The arms disappeared and
Friedrich could relax... but only briefly.
The arms appeared again from every corner of the room and this time Friedrich wasn’t quick
enough to avoid them. He was grabbed by the legs, the arms and even the throat. He was carried
inside the wall.
After a brief moment of darkness, Friedrich was struck by the warm wind of an anonymous and
desolate world. He immediately understood that it had to be another dimension, probably demonic.
Friedrich felt his chest burn, a Command Seal appeared.
A pale young girl, with two blood eyes and pointed ears, came before Friedrich. She wore a
wicked smile.
“I am Glasya-Labolas. For the duration of this war you will refer to me as Specter! My class!”
Friedrich said nothing and wasn’t too frightened. He stood up, moved the sweatshirt and looked
at the symbol on his chest.
“So... how do I remove this, now?” he murmured.
She was still smiling maliciously, probably expecting a fearful reaction from the boy, only after a
few minutes did she realize he was going to break the Contract.
“What?! No, wait! You can't do this!” She was the one who was scared.
“Yes I can. If I use all three Command Seals I will break our Contract and you will disappear,
right?”
“Yes... but... wait! Think about it! Come on, we're all friends here, right?”

134
 “You kidnapped me and forced me to make a contract with you. I don't want to be your Master
and I don't want to participate in the Holy Grail War, therefore—”
“Wait! I can do what you want! Everything!” She went up to him and whispered: “We can have
a lot of sex if you need pussy.”
He sighed irritably. “First order—”
“WAIT! Okay, okay I was kidding! Come on, don't you like jokes? Everyone likes a good joke!
Yeah?”
“No.”
“But... come on! I don't want to be the first to leave!”
“Sucks to be you—”
“Wait, look at this.”
Specter snapped her fingers and showed Friedrich the image of some assassins sent by the Rote
Mäntel at the airport. The girl then said:
“They're looking for you, Master. They'll kill you.”
“What am I seeing?”
“This is one of my personal skills: it allows me to see events of the near future, very close. Will
you still refuse me? How will you fight them by yourself? Do you really think they won't hunt you
for the duration of the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil? Don’t you want a guard dog?”
The demonology lessons came in handy again, thanks to them, Friedrich had no doubts about the
demon's sincerity. But he wasn't happy with having a Servant.

Hamburg airport was filled with thousands of people and among them were hitmen from the
Rote Mäntel. They weren't there by chance, Friedrich suspected, they had been sent by Herbert.
Fortunately, the boy was used to escaping from killers and the like and therefore managed to
leave the airport avoiding any possible incident.
He boarded a bus with his Servant, who had hidden her physical form, and sat down with a sigh
of relief. The danger had been averted.
When he turned around he noticed that a girl with long pink hair and green eyes sat next to him.
The girl had a gothic dress with the right sleeve longer than the left. She smiled at him.
“Veronica Drakenberg, nice to meet you.”
He had a moment of confusion. He was as if enchanted by the beauty of that girl. The girl
immediately noticed his reaction and, in a moment, her behavior changed: if before she was only
friendly, now she was trying to seduce him. She touched his leg and said, in a low voice:
“You find me beautiful? I'll take that as a compliment.”
“I'm... Friedrich Wolff. Pleased to meet you. I'm sorry if I was staring at you, it's just that... I was
fascinated by your black gothic dress. I really like it...”
“Thank you. You’re so sweet...”
Friedrich noticed that the girl's eyes rested for a few seconds on Specter, who, however, was
invisible. No human could’ve perceived her.
“A magus, huh?” he asked.
The girl smiled. Friedrich, as if he had just noticed how she was behaving towards her, distanced
himself and said, in a dark voice:
“One false move and you get hurt. Who do you work for?”
“I’m the overseer of the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil. Like you, I'm going to London too.”
“I will not participate in this war—”
“A real shame, I was hoping that someone like you would be interested in finding out the truth
about this world.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you know the eternal recurrence of the same of Friedrich Nietzsche?”
“Are you talking about Thus Spoke Zarathustra?”

135
 “The future is infinite and the past is infinite. What has been will return to be, what will be will
stop being.”
“I... don't understand... what are you trying to tell me?”
“It's a pity that you can’t understand. But there’s something that tells me that you can't wait to
find out why you’re here. I can feel a doubt digging into you, maybe I have the answers you’re
looking for.”
The bus stopped at that moment and Veronica got out of the vehicle:
“Maybe we'll talk again in London, Master of Specter.”
There was something about Veronica that Friedrich couldn't explain, it was something that was
attracting him. He felt like a moth a few feet from a fire and yet, even though he knew that, he
intended to meet her again and talk to her. Moved by that irrational impulse, Friedrich agreed to
take part in the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil.

136
 CHAPTER 18
The family comes first. The honor of the family comes first. Nothing is greater than the honor of
the family. What matters is winning for the Sunahara family. Love and respect are received only by
giving greater importance to the family rather than to oneself. This is what Hisae had learned from
her father and, for this, she devoted herself, day and night, to the practice of Magecraft. Not being
loved by the head of the family, Kazuo Sunahara, meant being seen as foot weights, like pieces of
garbage that had to be tolerated despite their uselessness. Hisae didn't want to be treated as a nullity,
but at the same time she didn't want to put in a bad light her younger brother: Hiro. He was a child,
it was obvious that he was incapable of knowing how to channel his own mana, but the father didn't
care. If Hiro was weak, the family was weak and this was unacceptable.
Hisae begged her father to give her the opportunity to train Hiro, but he told her these exact
words:
“A fast runner can't stop to help the slower one.”
Hisae was forced to accept her father's orders with submission. From that day on, Hiro became a
burden on the family.

January 23, 2021

On the news they talked about a girl who had committed suicide by throwing herself out of the
school window. Hisae was watching television when her mother, Chieko, came.
“Your father wants to see you, Hisae.”
“Now?”
“Yes, now” she said in an authoritative tone.
Hisae got up and, before leaving the room, asked her mother:
“Hiro is improving, little by little, don't you think too?”
“Yes, he has improved a little bit. At his age, you were on a higher level.”
“But he—”
“Think of yourself, my daughter, don’t worry about your brother. Now go, your father doesn't
like to wait.”
Hisae, although unnerved by her mother's attitude, obeyed and went to her father. In a room lit
only by four lighted candles, Kazuo was meditating and, when he heard his daughter arrive, he
grumbled:
“Don't make too much noise.”
“Sorry, Father,” she said in a low voice.
“Sit down, I have to talk to you.”

137
 Hisae sat down in front of her father who handed her a piece of an old red cloak. The girl asked:
“What is this?”
“Your chance to make the Sunahara house famous throughout the world. That’s a relic with
which you will summon a Servant.”
“A Servant...?” She was shocked.
“You will participate in the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil, Hisae. You will do it and you will win
for the sake of your family.”
Hisae didn't want to participate in the war, she didn't want to abandon her little brother. She tried
to get her father to change his mind:
“I'm... still young, I don't know if I'll be strong enough to fight—”
“You've just turned eighteen, you are no longer a child. The time has come for you to fight.”
“But I—”
“You're not allowed to oppose my choice,” he said gravely.
“I don't want to oppose it, it's just that... I'm not sure—”
“You’ll win, Hisae. You have to fight for the good of the family. This is what I taught you,
remember? The family comes first of all. You are a Sunahara first and Hisae second.”
“What if I fail?”
Kazuo cast a cold glance at his daughter, like that of a man who was about to use his hands. The
girl, intimidated, accepted the responsibility of fighting the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil in the
name of the Sunahara family.
That night, after washing, Hisae prepared to go to war. She was afraid, but she didn't know if she
was more terrified of the war itself or of letting her father down. One thing was certain: Hisae didn't
want to fight. The idea of leaving her sixteen-year-old brother in the hands of their father made her
tremble like a leaf.
That same night, the girl silently entered her brother's room; Hiro was sleeping. She walked over
to him and stood still, looking at his face, knowing that probably would be the last time she would
see him. When she couldn't hold back her tears, she walked out and cried in her room.

The full moon illuminated the city of Kyoto. Hisae Sunahara, taking the summoning material
with her, went to an abandoned building and prepared the ritual. It wasn't the first time she’d done a
summoning, but she’d never seen a Servant and wondered who or what she’d summon with that
piece of cloth. It looked like a piece of a cloak or a banner; maybe it was Japanese?
The girl didn’t immediately practice the ritual, she temporized to enjoy what would probably
have been her last moments of peace and serenity. She looked out of a window to listen to the
melody of the night city; never in her life would she have expected to appreciate the chatter of
passers-by and the noise of the engines so much. The feeling of nostalgia weighed down her heart
and her longing to escape was gripping her mind. It would’ve been nice to run away and leave
everything behind, but she had a brother and she didn't want to abandon him; for a moment she
thought of Hiro as some sort of hostage used by her parents to blackmail her. A crazy idea, yet not
so far from reality.
The time had come: she opened her hand and recited the magic formula to summon the Servant:
“Listen to my call, hero of another time! I am your Master, I am the one who will guide you in
this glorious battle to get the most coveted trophy of all! Entrust your powers to me, give me your
strength and become my sword and my shield! I summon you!”
The circle lit up a pale blue and a glow forced the girl to put her hands in front of her eyes. From
a thick curtain of smoke came out a man with a medieval knight's armor, a long red cloak, short
black hair and with mustaches. He bowed before Hisae and said:
“I'm Sir Thomas de Camoys, first Baron of Camoys, Knight of the Garter and Peer of England.
Answer my question: are you my Master?”
The girl, looking at his weapon, knew immediately that he was an Archer-class Servant. She
would’ve expected a Servant with a sword, but she wasn't too disappointed.

138
 “Will you fight by my side then?” she asked.
“Of course, of course!”
“And... are you strong?”
He winked.
“Should I take it as ‘yes’ or as ‘no’?”
“Personally I consider myself one of the strongest Servants.”
He was an attractive man, Hisae couldn’t deny it, and his aristocratic demeanor could be, on the
one hand, reassuring, but the girl couldn’t totally trust him. Archer didn't look self-centered, but he
had the attitude of over-optimistic people.
The girl took out of the backpack, that she had brought with her, a sheet of paper on which there
was the declaration of war.
“London is our battlefield.”
“Excellent!” he exclaimed smiling. “Are you ready, Master?”
“You look like it. Are you really that sure you can win?” she asked perplexed.
“Of course! There’s no challenge that a knight cannot overcome.”

The night rain was drenching the noisy Tokyo. On the third floor of a building under
construction, Tetsuya Murakawa could see the spectacle of lights distorted by individual drops of
water. He lit a cigarette and wiped the blood from his face. Before him, on the floor, there was the
corpse of a man who, just ten minutes ago, was about to kill him. His name was Kazuya Togasaki
and he was a friend of his. Tetsuya had shot him in the head, after having beaten him up, and now
he was calm, sitting on a pair of beams, smoking the cigarette.
He heard the sound of police sirens, got up and, with the hands in his pockets, went down the
stairs to the ground floor where he met the policemen. They ordered him to raise his hands but he,
ignoring the orders, advanced with the expression of a sadistic killer. The first shot was fired,
Tetsuya was quick enough to avoid the bullet and, with one fist, he broke the first policeman's chin.
The other three began to fire, but it was useless.
Within seconds, the battle was over.
Tetsuya put out his cigarette on the forehead of one of those corpses and left, as if nothing had
happened.

January 10, 2021

Tetsuya had returned to his apartment, wiped himself from the blood and took a hot shower. He
opened a suitcase containing several false documents, he planned to travel to China under the name
‘Sheng Zhen’. He cut his beard, prepared both contact lenses and a wig to wear. He had to hide
from the other T6 members who were looking for him.
When he returned to the bedroom he noticed that there was a girl sitting on the ruined mattress.
He asked no questions and immediately went on the attack. A kick knocked him to the ground.
“Who the fuck are you?” he asked aggressively.
“I’m the overseer of the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil. My name is Veronica Drakenberg. Nice to
meet you, Tetsuya Murakawa.”
“Suck my dick, you bitch—”
“It's not polite to talk to a young lady like that, they never taught you that?”
“I bet you're not that kind of girl...” he said getting up. “You have the look of a killer.”
“So that makes me like you, or am I wrong?”
“What do you want?”
“Your participation in the conflict to be held in London. You’re a magus, Tetsuya, and you also
have the right credentials to take part in the Holy Grail War. The only thing you’re missing is the
Servant.” The girl took out a spearhead. “With this relic you can summon the Servant.”
“Why the fuck should I be in a fucking war? I don't want to deal with this bullshit, brat—”

139
 “Well, if you prefer to live like a fugitive I won't protest. But I have the impression that you don't
like life as a fugitive either. I don't want to mind your business, mind you, but we both know Sheng
Zhen is a failure... on the other side is Tetsuya Murakawa, the killer, the professional, the man who
isn’t afraid of anything. He’s not like Sheng Zhen, because he’s not afraid of dying.”
“These mind games don't work on me.”
“Mind games? No, you misunderstood me... I’ve no intention of manipulating you, I know
perfectly well that it would be useless to put a leash on a wild animal. What I want to do is give
you a choice, but we both know what choice you will make, right?”
She left the spearhead on the mattress and headed for the door.
“What do you mean?” he asked confused. “I haven't chosen yet.”
“You’re not Sheng Zhen, you’re Tetsuya Murakawa and Tetsuya Murakawa never runs away
from death.”

Smell of sulfur. Alessandro got up and left the asphalt to follow that smell that was mixing the
bitter fragrance of petrol. He walked through a forest inhabited by the corpses of buildings colored
by the fire that burned Westminster Abbey. A girl he didn’t know smiled at him and began to dance
with the fire behind her.
“Come to me, dear brother...”
“Who... are you?” he asked confused.
“I’m the one who will lead you to the truth.”
“What truth?”
“Don't you understand, Alessandro? All of this has already happened and will happen again.”
“What are you talking about? I don’t understand!”
Alessandro could clearly see ghosts running and hiding in the forest of concrete and rubble.
Ghosts whispered, talked, screamed and kept moving, leaving behind ashes and blood. Their voices
pounded his head.
“What's going on here...?” He fell to his knees and couldn't hold back his tears. “Who did all
this?”
“You, my dear brother,” the girl answered. “It was you. The fault is yours alone.”
“I... I did... this?” He couldn't believe it.
“Yes, you did...” she said in a low voice. She stroked his face with her hand and added, with an
evil grin: “Accept your fate, Alessandro. War is calling you.”
“AH!”
A scream that broke the nightmare. Alessandro was on his bed, sweating and suffering from a
severe headache. Who was that girl? Why had he seen her? He had no idea. The more he thought
about it, the more he became convinced that he had already seen that look and that smile of hers. He
was sure of it. Explaining how this could be possible was complicated, but above all frightening; he
was afraid of discovering the truth behind those nightmares. It didn't make sense. He knew it made
no sense, because they were just nightmares and they were only in his head, they couldn't hurt him;
the fear was so intense that it strongly forbade reason to intervene.

January 25, 2021

Alessandro was in the church of the Coven Abbey. He had just drawn the magic circle and
placed a Roman sword in the center, everything was ready for the ritual. Alessandro had only to
pronounce the enchantment formula and the rest would’ve happened by itself, he would’ve obtained
a Servant to fight the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil.
Alessandro sat down on the ground to look at that sword. The more he stared at it, the more he
had the impression that he had already seen it and that he had already performed a similar ritual. In
his dreams there was a white-haired, red-eyed girl; a girl with whom he had fought against
formidable enemies. Dreams were just dreams, they had no meaning. What was a battle in a dream?

140
Nothing. Yet Alessandro was certain that those images that haunted him at night weren’t only in his
head. How could it all be connected to the death of his father? Most of the dreams didn't even
mention him. Many images were violent, tragic; surely a psychologist would’ve connected them to
the trauma suffered by Alessandro, but for him there was much more.
A moon beam, that passed through the windows, illuminated that sword making it shine as if it
were a sort of divine object. Alessandro was fascinated by the brightness of that perfect blade, that
white reflection seemed to invite him to perform the ritual, to summon the Servant. Alessandro
approached the magic circle, opened his hand and began to recite the magic formula:
“Listen to my call, hero of another time! I am your Master, I am the one who will guide you in
this glorious battle to get the most coveted trophy of all! Entrust your powers to me, give me your
strength and become my sword and my shield! I summon you!”
The magic circle gave off a very strong red light and Alessandro was overturned by an incredible
shockwave. When he recovered, he found himself surrounded by a curtain of black smoke from
which came out this girl. He recognized her immediately: red eyes, white hair, divine beauty and
the posture of a ruler. She was the girl he had seen in his dreams and who had fought alongside him.
The girl, in a royal manner, introduced herself:
“Contemplate me, Master! Contemplate the greatest Heroic Spirit of all time! In my veins flows
the blood of Aeneas, the Trojan hero who arrived in Latium Vetus, the blood of Romulus, First King
and founder of Rome, and the blood of the gods: Venus, goddess of beauty, and Mars, god of war!
I’m the Pater Patriae, Dictator Perpetuo, Divus Iulius! But you can call me with only one name:
Gaius Julius Caesar.”
He was shocked. He didn't know what to say. He would never have expected to be face to face
with Julius Caesar. The girl approached him and asked, smiling:
“So, are you my Master?”

141
 CHAPTER 19
Alessandro was speechless, he was in front of Saber who was the legendary dictator Gaius Julius
Caesar. The girl patted him on the forehead.
“I know I'm more beautiful than a divinity, but don't you think you’re exaggerating? We have a
war to fight, don't we? Then we go! Let's go fight!”
“Yes— no... wait! Wait a moment...”
“What's up, Master?”
“We must first prepare. The war will be fought in London, not here.”
“Lon... don? A barbarian settlement? Well, I’ve no problem. Just tell me where, how and who
and let's leave right away.”
Saber wanted to fight, she was delighted at the idea of starting the Holy Grail War, but
Alessandro didn't share that same joy and so he told the Servant to calm down and follow him to his
quarters. Saber sat in Alessandro’s room and the first thing she noticed was the presence of a dozen
books on a desk.
“Are you a reader?” she asked.
“Yes... um... yes, I’m a reader...” He was packing his bags for departure.

142
 “You’re right to read! I also love to read! Only by reading a good book can you learn, you
cannot always afford a teacher.”
“What did you... um... read in your times?”
“Poems” she answered quickly and with a smile. “But also history and grammar books. I used to
read some philosophy books, but I preferred the Epicurean ones.”
“Why?”
“I share their pragmatic view of things and, like them, I’ve always rejected superstitions.”
“But do you believe in gods?”
“Epicureans aren’t atheists, they simply believe that gods cannot act on this world because
they’re too distant and have no interest in mortal affairs.”
“I see, well—”
Someone knocked on the door, Alessandro opened: it was Marco Lombardo.
“You summoned the Servant, then. Good.”
“I’m ready to go...” Alessandro said in a low voice.
“Good. The flight is already paid for and so is your hotel room. In this envelope you will find the
information you’ll need.”
“Thanks...”
“Alessandro, the Grand Master places great trust in you. Don't let him down.”
“I... will not...” he said keeping his eyes down.
“Glad to hear that. May God accompany you to victory.”
Marco Lombardo left closing the door behind him. Saber was intrigued by the unusual reaction
of her Master. Generally a Master had to be happy to fight to get the Holy Grail, but this time it was
completely different: Alessandro Serpi seemed sad. Saber asked:
“Master, do you want to tell me something?”
“What are you talking about, Saber?”
“You’re acting... strange. Do you want to fight this war?”
“Well, it doesn't really matter, does it? I’m here, you’re here and we’re not free. London awaits
us, Saber.”

January 26, 2021

Friedrich Wolff had arrived in London with his Servant. Once in town the first thing he did was
to find himself a place to stay, a hotel. Friedrich had already been to London and knew how to find
his way, so he had no problem finding accommodation. He made himself comfortable in a well-kept
hotel room. Specter appeared:
“I didn't think a nomad like you had enough money to afford a place like this.”
“I did several jobs.”
“Something immoral?” she asked with a provocative grin.
“I'm not that kind of person.”
“What kind of person are you then? You don't seem like a typical ‘good boy’.”
“I’m the type of person who loves to live freely” he said opening a window to let in some fresh
air.
“Then why did you agree to participate in this war? You could’ve canceled the Contract and
forgotten about me and all of this.”
“There’s something... weird,” he replied. “That girl, Veronica, knows something that I want to
know... that I want to understand.”
“In fact she had talked about a cycle of the eternal return... but do you really care about these
things? I mean, from my point of view they don’t seem anything exceptional.”
“You know something?” he asked curiously.
“I know many things. What are you referring to?” she asked, smiling.
“Do you know what Veronica was talking about?”

143
 “Let’s start with this: what do you think?”
“I don't know...”
Specter chuckled, approached Friedrich and murmured:
“Liar.” She sat on the bed and, crossing her legs, explained: “You left Hamburg and went to
Berlin, where you spent most of your time researching in a dusty library... and then you decided to
come here, to London, just to be able to talk to that girl. You think this reality has something
strange, don’t you?”
“Is it true?”
“I'm not a divinity, therefore I cannot confirm or even deny her conjectures, however, I can tell
you that they’re not new to me. In the Gnostic doctrines, Abraxas was considered a divinity, he was
half cock and half snake, and was protected by the Uroborus.”
“I don't know much about these things, but... I've heard of the ouroboros before. What is it?”
“All in One. In the Gnostic doctrines, it was considered a being that represented the totality of
time, space and the primordial ocean. The Uroborus wasn’t evil or good, but represented the
beginning and the end of a cycle... and its beginning again. It was in the midst of the mortal world
and the Dark World.”
“That is to say?”
“Well, the Dark World is indefinite. It’s called in different ways and has different interpretations
depending on the culture. The truth is that it’s a world of the eternal past. There’s no future in the
Dark World. Nothing is and everything has been. You call it the Underworld and give it other
names, but in fact it has only one name.”
“What is its name?”
“Sheol.”
“Sheol...” That name alone was enough to make him shiver. “I heard about Sheol in a
demonology class. Back then I thought it was just some kind of Hell, but I remember Dorian having
formulated a curious theory about it. I'll have to talk to him.”
“Yeah, yeah...” she said shrugging. “Now how about talking about something more important?”
“Mm? What?”
“Well, sorry, not exactly ‘talking’... I want to do something important. You have to do me.”
“Uh?!” he exclaimed, frowning and opening his mouth wide.
Specter jumped on Friedrich and, with a demonic smile, said in an excited voice:
“I'm a demon who has special needs, Master.”
“You're joking... right?” he said sweating as on a summer day.
“Just looking at you makes me want to be fucked. Violently.” A blade came out of Specter’s arm
and she placed it in front of his throat. “Like it or not, this demon needs to bark.”
“No, no, no, no! Forget it! Get off me!” he shouted.
“Why? Don't tell me you're still a virgin? Mm... but that might make things more fun. I love to
see men cry.”
He punched her in the head.
“Ouch!” she exclaimed. “This will give me a bump...”
Friedrich was embarrassed and red as a pepper.
“The nymphomaniac Servant had to happen to me...”

A luxurious hotel room, something that only the Coven could afford. Alessandro Serpi was tired
from traveling by plane and only wanted to sleep. He put his bags aside without even opening them
and lay down on the double bed. Saber appeared:
“Shouldn't you prepare for battle?”
“Is that a problem for you? I think I’ve already given too much for today...” he said in a tired
voice.
“The sun has just risen—”

144
 “But we’ve just arrived. Is it possible that you don't have a conception of tiredness—oh, no
wait... you're a Servant. Fatigue doesn’t exist for you. Well, I'm sorry I'm a burden to you, but I'm
not in a position to plan a battle...”
“I don't want you to plan a battle, I want you to prepare physically and mentally for it.”
“Look, Saber... um... Caesar, it’s not my intention to put you in difficulty, but you must
understand that it wasn’t fun to leave Italy to get here. Do you have any idea how stressful it was
for me?”
“No,” she said. “I don't know you, but we can start talking, can't we?”
Dreams were just dreams. The girl he had dreamed of was identical to Saber, but that didn't mean
he could trust her. He wasn’t an expert in Roman history, but he knew enough about Julius Caesar
to be able to say that trusting that person was tantamount to putting oneself in danger. After all,
Caesar was a dictator responsible for some kind of genocide in Gaul. Trusting such a person was
risky.
“We can behave like simple colleagues, can't we?” An imposition disguised as a suggestion.
“You and I will be a team for a limited period of time and then, at the end of the war, you’ll
disappear and I will move on with my life.”
“Don't underestimate friendship, Master.”
“I've never needed friends.”
“You're lying,” she said with a hint of presumption. “Everyone needs friends—”
“There are people who prefer to be alone” he muttered irritably.
“Maybe, I don't know them—”
“So what? Why do I have to be forced to have friends? What if I don't want them? What if I
want to be alone?”
“Having friends isn’t a must, Master, in many cases it’s a natural need...”
“Have you had a lot of friends, Saber?”
“I... um...” It almost seemed that Alessandro had asked the most difficult question ever. “It’s not
a simple thing to talk about. I’ve had many friends, yes, but many have betrayed me... while others
remained faithful. I've never been particularly lucky with relationships.”
“Yet you had the nerve to lecture me...”
The girl, sighing, sat down on the bed, next to Alessandro and said: “I had a friend... his name
was Titus Labienus. He was a lieutenant of mine during my conquest of Gaul and he, more than
many others, was close to me both during my moments of strength and weakness. I didn't trust
anyone else like Titus Labienus. And then, that fateful day in front of the Rubicon, he decided to
side with Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus... he decided to fight to the death to defend the decadent and
corrupt Res Publica... and he died. I killed him. I never wanted to, but I was forced to.”
“What are you—”
“I’ve had many friends, many have betrayed me and many have remained faithful to me. I'm not
telling you it's easy, but if I’ve the ‘nerve to lecture’ you it's because at least I had the courage to
make friends.” She seemed to be berating him. She left the bed. “I won't force you to be my friend,
but I highly recommend that you be. We’re not talking about philosophy, ethics or politics here...
we're talking about me. You know who I am and you know what I'm capable of, that's why I advise
you to be my friend... because you don't want to be Caesar's enemy.”
That seemed like a real threat and the thing that intimidated Alessandro was that authoritarian
look, those were the eyes of a person who was aware of having power and who had full control over
it. She had the eyes of a builder and a destroyer. She had the look and manner of a goddess of peace
and war.

January 20, 2021

145
 Hamburg. After having had the opportunity to speak with Friedrich Wolff, Kumahira Yukiko
headed towards the church of St. Michael where some members of the Rote Mäntel were gathering
to prepare the ritual to summon the Servant.
It was night and Yukiko was alone. She approached the doors of the church but two men stopped
her, one of them said:
“I'm sorry, miss, you can't go through.”
Inside the church the ritual had already begun, in a few minutes the Servant would appear, but
Yukiko was in no hurry. She walked slowly away with a predatory grin, waiting for the end of the
summoning.
The Rote Mäntel managed to summon Caster. The Master was a young magus ready to win the
Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil. Caster was restless, something was troubling him.
“What's going on, Caster?” asked the young Master.
“There's a Servant... a very powerful Servant,” he replied, intimidated.
Caster opened his book, took out his quill and summoned beings made of ink. The men in the
church were confused, but at that moment the doors were destroyed; the two guards who were
outside had been killed and Yukiko entered the church. Caster's Master was a guy named Hernan
Keller, he had a slender appearance and a trout face. When Yukiko saw him, she almost burst out
laughing. Hernan didn't take it well and verbally attacked Yukiko:
“You won't be able to defeat me, you stupid bitch!”
“No, sorry... my bad... it's just so funny to see a Servant like Caster in the hands of a waste of
oxygen. Look, man, why don't you get on your knees and beg for mercy now? So we avoid all
comedy.”
“Do you wanna laugh, bitch? I'll make you laugh! But first you'll grunt like a pig!”
Hernan fired a magic bullet from his hand. Yukiko moved slightly to avoid it. The girl, with a
bored expression, said:
“I've always hated foreplay.” The girl advanced slowly and without a hint of fear. “Every time I
always have to start over from the beginning and I can never start directly from the main act... oh,
no... I always have to follow a specific order. All time. Every fucking time. And here's what
happens: I run into idiots like you and Hiro Sunahara. Boring, repetitive and useless. It would be
nice if a woman could take people like you and throw you to the slaughter.”
The ink creatures attacked Yukiko, but at that moment Berserker appeared. Berserker killed the
ink soldiers with a few attacks. Caster, intimidated, thought of immediately using his Noble
Phantasm, but Berserker hit him with such a powerful punch that he flew out of the church.
While the two Servants were fighting, the men surrounded Yukiko. The girl looked at them all
with contempt and, in a low voice, she said:
“Jag är Oövervinnlig.”
The men cast their Magecrafts in unison, but these had no effect on Yukiko. The girl killed those
fools by splitting their heads, tearing their hearts and breaking up their limbs. The young Master
was shocked, that fragile girl looked like a demon.
“Stay away! Monster!” he shouted, frightened.
“ I don't need to come over there to kill you” she said, smiling.
Berserker joined Yukiko, clutching Caster by the throat; he was unable to react, he was like a
wounded rabbit.
“Servants... shouldn't be so weak...” Hernan said, traumatized.
“Compared to Berserker, all Servants are weak... especially if there are incompetent Masters
like you with them. You’re the living proof that the Holy Grail War is not made for everyone.
Nostradamus has just become Berserker's bitch, but don't worry... this humiliation will soon end for
both of you.”
“WAIT! Have mercy on me! I... didn't want to participate in this war!” Hernan was in tears. “I
want to live! Please, let me live!”
“Nope,” she said smiling.

146
 Berserker threw Caster against Hernan and, without hesitation, used her Noble Phantasm:
My Hell is Eternal
“Ashes of Camelot !”
Berserker's flames burned both Caster and Hernan; even the church caught fire. Yukiko left with
a smile on her face.

CHAPTER 20

January 2, 2021

Moscow. Sergei Rybakov was in the library reading a book by Vladimir Mayakovsky, it was
Formidable Laughter. He was so immersed in reading that he didn't even notice the presence of
another man who sat down next to him.
“Sergei.”
Sergei looked up and saw this man in his forties with a thick beard and little hair on his head.
This man with a crow's nose was dressed very elegantly and passed him a ruined wooden cross.
Sergei seeing the object said:
“What's this thing?”

147
 “The relic.”
“Impossible—”
“No, this is it, believe me. Vasily told me it's this.”
“Where did he get it?”
“A Polish magus, Lesław Szymczyk, provided it to him.”
“You mean the one who founded the Warsaw Academy of Magecraft?”
“Yes, him.”
“Did Guryev give you this and nothing else?”
“Exactly. He only gave me this relic.”
Sergei took a look at that old cross a little bigger than a hand, it was certainly ancient but Sergei
feared it was a fake and asked:
“How can I trust Guryev? That's a man with no honor.”
“Trust me, that's the relic. With that you will summon a Servant,” he said in an optimistic tone.
“I'll try. But if I find out it's a fake, it'll be trouble for that idiot.”
“It's not a fake, you can trust me.”
That man who spoke to Sergei Rybakov was Igor Yerzov, a fellow soldier of his. The times
when they were sent by the Order of the Blessed to fight wars in foreign lands weren’t far off. Igor's
gentle manners, dyed with a touch of vivacity, put the more introverted Rybakov at ease.
“Sorry, I don't want to look ungrateful,” Sergei said in a low voice. “I’m afraid of this situation
and I want to make sure that I’ve everything under control.”
“Participating in the Holy Grail War is suicide. Even the Order of the Blessed has pulled back.”
“I know, but I'm not going to.”
Sergei closed the book and put it back on the shelf. Intrigued, Igor asked him:
“Do you still like Mayakovsky?”
“I never stopped loving his poems,” he answered in a voice full of emotion. “His words have
always penetrated my soul. There are no poets like him, I think it's impossible. In a way, I’m also
grateful to Mayakovsky. His works opened the way for me to poetry.”
“I see... he is like the center of your world, isn't he?” he said in a playful tone. “Do you think
about Mayakovsky even before you go to bed?”
“Shut up, you don't have the heart of a poet. By the way, I also like other authors: lately I've been
reading the works of Nikolay Ogarev, for example.”
“Just him?”
“I also love the works of Sophia Parnok.”
“Well, at least there’s a woman you like. I was starting to fear you were—”
“First of all, don't be homophobic. Love knows infinite forms and it doesn't matter if it’s
expressed by two men or two women. Second of all, are you aware that Parnok was our Sappho?”
“Who?” he asked with a confused look.
“Sappho. The Greek poet from the island of Lesbos. You can't tell me you don't know the most
famous lesbian poet in history.”
“I don't know who she is, I swear...” he said shaking his head.
“You’re so ignorant that you give me a headache. Couldn't you read something sometimes?”
“I don’t like reading. Too many words.”
The two friends left the library. It was snowing and, under those white flakes, Rybakov greeted
Yerzov. Sergei walked holding that cross in his hand. The more he looked at it the more he became
convinced that he needed to fight. It wasn’t a desire that drove him, but of the nightmares that were
haunting him. Every night, when he closed his eyes, he saw the stars disappear and he saw the
world burn in black flames. In those nightmares, a voice invited him to fight the war to fulfill his
destiny. It was silly. It made no sense rationally. Sergei looked at that cross and knew—he was
convinced— that fighting the war would be the right choice.

148
 January 27, 2021 - Day 1

Murakawa Tetsuya was on the train, comfortably seated sipping whiskey from his personal
bottle while watching the alternate lights of the dark gallery that passed quickly in front of the
window. The noise of the wagons moving was the only sound that filled that empty section of the
train. Tetsuya was thinking about the Command Seal on his chest and constantly wondering what
he should’ve done to win: how many people would he have to kill? It wasn't a moral dilemma for
him, he was just bothered by the idea of having to work hard.
“You’re thoughtful.”
Lancer appeared: a woman with Greek armor and a hoplite helmet. She sat down in front of
Tetsuya.
“Why did you materialize?” he asked irritably.
“Are you scared that someone might find out that you’re my Master?”
“I don't like being noticed by dickheads that could hinder me.”
“Don't worry there’s no one. I would never have decided to appear if there had been people in
here. Where are we going?”
“We’re on the hunt for Masters. The Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil will take place in one of the
most populous cities in the world: London. It won’t be easy to fight in secret and it won’t be easy
to find our enemies. How many? Twelve million? Thirteen million? In short... there are too many
people.”
“You don't speak like a Master... but like a predator. What are you?”
“A killer. A former killer, actually. I worked for T6, an organization of magi who were paid to
kill particular targets. I use Magecraft to kill, in case you haven't figured it out.”
“T6? A strange name.”
“You're right, but I've never asked myself what it means. It's just a name.”
“I don't get along with the killers. They are all dishonorable people,” she commented harshly.
“Honor is a luxury, not a duty. Only those who are rich and powerful can afford to be honorable.
Those who have nothing use everything they have to win, it’s a rule of nature. But the funny thing
is that those in power are very good at pointing out the dishonesty and illegality of actions
committed by those without power, yet they hide their crimes under the sunlight.”
“Why did you say ‘under the sunlight’?”
“Everyone knows about the crimes committed by the richest people, but we all know that none
of them will go to prison. The rich are criminals who dress in gold. Everybody knows. They are
hungry sharks who do charity only out of pity, not out of love. Everybody knows. However, there’s
an honor behind wealth, and all societies respect that honor. It's not too different from feudalism
and the code of chivalry, is it?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Simply put, when there were fiefs, kings and knights, there was a code of chivalry which, for
many, was a great step forward from the barbarities of the past. The honor of the knights had to be
respected and the knights themselves demanded honorable battles from their enemies. The knights
were seen as heroes, saviors of the plebs and the greatest exponents of the highest human virtues.
But they were just criminals. They killed peasants, raped women, committed barbaric massacres
and were almost all fanatics. But nobody said anything. Why? Because they were knights and their
honor had to be respected. If you want my personal opinion: the rich are the knights of the present.
They’re people with shit in their heads and blood in their hands.”
The train stopped. Lancer disappeared and Tetsuya left the station to head towards Regent's Park.
It was night. The park was quiet and deserted. Tetsuya saw another Master arrive, a boy who was
dressed as a Japanese school student. He had blond hair and green eyes; he was calm like a
Buddhist monk and approached Tetsuya, stopping only about twenty paces from him.
“What's a brat doing in a war like this?” Tetsuya asked sharply.

149
 “Do you have a problem with me?”
“I hate brats.”
“Well... I’m Nishijima Kazuki, the Master of Rider, and you better not call me ‘brat’ or you'll
regret meeting me.”
“Do you really want to play this game with me?”
“I'm not playing.”
“Then you’re just a fool. Lancer!”
Lancer appeared, shortly thereafter Rider too. Rider was a girl wearing Japanese armor. She had
long black hair, her right eye was green while the left one was yellow.
Lancer jumped forward and, brandishing her spear, struck a direct blow to the opponent's heart.
Rider parried the attack using her katana and attempted to injure Lancer, but the latter dodged the
blade at an incredible speed.
Rider's attacks were rapid, but Lancer was lightning fast. The blade of the sword couldn’t hurt
the opponent and Rider was getting nervous. Lancer, seeing an opening, positioned her foot so that
Rider lost her balance; the spearhead was a few millimeters from Rider's throat.
Lancer saw the opponent dodge the blow only by luck.
“I would’ve expected more from you, Rider.”
“It's not over yet.”
Rider tried to hit the opponent's legs, a clever move which, however, proved useless; Lancer
dodged the attack with a jump. Rider intercepted the opponent in midair and the two warriors
continued a brief duel without touching the ground.
Lancer was the first to put her feet on the grass. The two warriors resumed the ground battle, but
neither of them gained an overwhelming advantage over the other. Rider constantly tried to breach
the opponent's defense, but every failed attempt put her in danger. Lancer was keeping an eye on
Rider's position, she wanted to try to make her lose her balance again by severely injuring her with
a spear attack.
Rider leapt away and sheathed the weapon. Lancer thought the opponent was going to retreat,
but then she realized that the earth was shaking slightly. Rider smiled and named her Noble
Phantasm:
She Who is in Third Place Compared to Nobunaga
“Mikawa-no-kami !”
A single slash that cut through all the trees in Rider's close vicinity. An attack so powerful and
lethal that it even managed to cut through the air itself, depriving Tetsuya of breath for a few
seconds. If Lancer hadn't dodged that blow, she would’ve died.
“You’re very lucky, Lancer,” Rider commented. “It's a real pity that this luck of yours won’t last
long—”
“Wait, Rider,” Kazuki said. “I would like to ask a question to the Master of Lancer.” Kazuki then
turned to Tetsuya: “You have seen the strength of my Servant, by now you’ve understood that your
defeat is inevitable. Rider is superior to Lancer, you'd better give up. So... what about throwing in
the towel and leaving?”
Tetsuya pretended to think about it, meanwhile he approached one of the trees that had been cut
down. He lifted his leg and kicked the trunk. Kazuki ducked abruptly, leaving an exclamation of
terror. The tree just missed him.
“No,” Tetsuya said. “I'd rather stay here and break that ugly face you have.”
“Well said, Master!” Lancer exclaimed.
Rider, without receiving any orders from her Master, attacked Lancer head-on. The two Servants
resumed a duel that didn't seem to want to give any winner. Lancer's quick, decisive, and focused
attacks were parried by Rider.
Rider's blade didn't get blood wet even once.
Lancer had no intention of stalling anymore and prepared to use her Noble Phantasm. The
woman's spear lit up. Rider, sensing the magical energy, moved to prevent Lancer from using her

150
attack. Lancer dodged Rider's blade and leapt. Five astral spears appeared around Rider. Lancer
named her Noble Phantasm with grit:
My Condemnation of Crotone
“Katadíki tou Krótona !”
Lancer threw her weapon. The subsequent explosion suggested that the battle ended with
Tetsuya's victory.
Rider was still alive, hurt, but alive.
There was a moment of confusion, but Tetsuya noticed that Kazuki's Command Seal was
lighting up; he immediately understood what had happened.
“He reinforced her with a Command Spell,” Tetsuya said.
“Well, we won't let him do it a second time.”
“It was just what I thought.”
Lancer and Tetsuya were ready to restart the battle, but Kazuki ordered Rider to retreat. The two
left. Lancer was disappointed, while Tetsuya didn't comment on what had happened.

Friedrich Wolff was sleeping blissfully in his bed, he had no idea that there had been a battle
between two Servants in Regent's Park. He felt a cold breeze on his neck and covered himself with
the blanket, but was now disturbed and could no longer fall asleep. He turned on the light and went
to the window to check that there were no drafts. It was perfectly closed and, passing his hand over
the edge, he didn't even feel a breath of air... so what had caused that strange breeze?
Friedrich made his way to the living room, but at that moment he realized that for some strange
reason a picture on the wall was slightly tilted to the right. He put it straight and, at that moment, he
saw a hand sticking out of the wall; this grabbed his head and slammed it against the glass of the
picture. Friedrich fell to the ground and saw this hooded man, who looked like a Jesuit monk, come
out of the wall.
“I guess that you’re a Servant!”
“Perceptive.”
Friedrich immediately got up and ran into the living room, chased by Assassin who threw several
daggers, always missing the target slightly. Specter appeared before Friedrich:
“Specter, we have a problem!” he shouted.
“Move... now I'll take care of him.”
Specter opened her hand. A blade came out of her palm and reached out until it attacked
Assassin. The Servant wasn’t even injured by the weapon and Specter, nervous, tried to hit the
opponent with another blade, this time protruding from her calf. Assassin wasn’t hit and didn’t
react. He realized he had missed his chance to kill the Master and left, disappearing like a ghost.

January 28, 2021 - Day 2

The next morning, Friedrich was already at work to try to find out what Assassin's identity was.
Specter appeared behind him while he was sitting on the sofa reading history books.
“Discovered something, Master?”
“No, still nothing. So far, that Assassin remains simply Casper's ‘ugly brother’.”
“Casper?”
“Forget it... it was just a joke. I’ve no idea who he is.”
“I bet you’ll find out sooner or later, Master.”
“Yeah, maybe... um... Specter, I’ve a question for you.”
“What is it?”
“If I remember correctly, you are a demon of knowledge. Does this mean you know the Root?”
“What do you mean by that name? You humans use very simple terms to define complicated
things, often you don’t make yourself understood.”
“Well, the Root is the source of all magic, right?”

151
 “Mm... yes and no. There’s no real ‘source of magic’, all magic is a part of the world and it’s a
way we influence the rules of reality. What you call ‘Root’, for us demons is the Archive.”
“And what is exactly?”
“A kind of library without form and without matter. It’s located in a metaphysical plane
different from any other existing dimension. It contains all the magic formulas that have been
invented throughout history. It’s a place which is constantly expanding and which contains an
infinite number of magical knowledge.”
“The magi are taught that that place, the Root, is where each magus can obtain the knowledge
necessary to become a True Mage capable of using High Magic. But... is it possible?”
“Maybe, but the mystical world follows a very precise rule that no one can escape: if you take
you must also give. You cannot take absolute knowledge or total power without giving something
valuable in return. Everything requires a sacrifice, everything has a price. The price is never a
precious gem or gold, but something that has more value. The price can vary depending on the
person, because each individual loves different things and in different ways: sometimes you have to
sacrifice your children or the love of your life, sometimes you have to sacrifice parts of your body
or your own sanity.”
“Is there anyone who has ever managed to get that knowledge?” he asked in a low voice.
“No. No sane person would try to enter the Archive.
Specter jumped on the sofa and lay down, resting her head on Friedrich's legs. He asked her:
“What if I told you I met someone who tried?”
“I would believe you right away. Madness is the most widespread virus among human beings.”
“My teacher... he became obsessed with the Root and tried to reach it several times...” Friedrich's
voice was tinged with sadness. “His son was dead, possibly killed, and he didn't want to accept it
and no one helped him. No one. His own organization, those people who claimed to be his family,
none of them helped him. They left him in the dark... and he sank.”
“So is that why you no longer work for Rote Mäntel?” she asked curiously.
“I actually left Hamburg for several reasons, that was one of them.”

Saber and Alessandro were walking together on the streets of London. The girl wore ordinary
clothes thankfully, but Alessandro was still afraid of being attacked by a Servant. He decided to
take Saber to a pub. Part of him would’ve preferred to plan the battle, but Saber was opposed to this
decision and had voted in favor of a snack in town. Alessandro didn't know whether to translate that
moment he spent with Saber as a date or as babysitting.
“Londinium will certainly offer delicacies,” Saber exclaimed, exploring the menu with her eyes.
“You certainly won't find Roman food,” he commented, looking around with suspicion.
“De gustibus non disputandum est! You can't argue about personal tastes. If in Londinium they
love non-Roman food, then we’ll eat non-Roman food and satiate our stomachs!”
“Okay, calm down... everyone is watching us,” Alessandro said embarrassed.
“What's the problem? I like to be looked at. I was born to be appreciated by anyone's eyes,” she
exclaimed in a proud tone.
“Saber—”
“I'd like to tell you a story, Master.”
“A story? About what?”
“There was a time when I was invited to dinner, together with some of my legionaries, by a dear
friend of mine: Valerio Leone. Now, you must know that when you eat asparagus, you have to
season them with oil... otherwise they’re not good to eat. Valerio Leone was wealthy, but he didn’t
like to decorate his domus, so he gave the image of a boor.” She paused briefly. “So we sit at the
table and Valerio offers us some asparagus, but these aren’t seasoned with oil... but with myrrh.
When my legionaries protested and insulted Valerio for having given us typical barbarian food, I
calmed them all and told them: ‘Nunc eam rusticitatem qui deprehendit, ipse est rusticus’.”

152
 Alessandro was a little shocked by the speed with which she had pronounced that sentence in
Latin. He knew Latin but didn’t speak it as a second language and therefore had difficulty
understanding certain words or phrases. Saber read the perplexity in his eyes and immediately
explained the meaning of that sentence:
“Whoever complains about that man's boorish attitude is a boor himself.”
“And did you eat those asparagus?”
“Well, I was hungry and I had food in front of me. Of course I ate those asparagus,” she
answered with a smile.
When the food was served at the table, Saber began to eat. Those English dishes would never
have satiated the girl, after all she was a Servant. Servants didn’t have a stomach or a digestive
system, any food that was eaten was automatically ‘burned’ and turned into mana.
The Servants, however, had the five senses and therefore could feel the flavors. Saber wasn't
eating because she was hungry, but because she, like other Servants, needed to feel alive somehow.
It was understandable. Being a Heroic Spirit wasn't easy. Alessandro felt a little guilty, after all the
girl in front of him had had a previous life and also some unique experiences. That girl had been
summoned and forced to fight a Holy Grail War. She was like him.
Servants were nothing more than weapons with the memories of humans. Only a magus could
violate any ethics to satisfy their own selfish desire.
Alessandro caught in Saber's eating a cry to life and also thought about some attitudes she had
had towards him, then he understood that perhaps many of the things Saber did were nothing more
than a way to feel alive. Eating, sleeping, washing, playing and even having sex... these are all
things Servants don't need. For some it may even be an advantage, Alessandro himself would’ve
seen something positive in the perennial lack of hunger or sexual urges. Without hunger, no one
would’ve died from lack of food. Without the sexual impulses, human relationships would’ve
become more sincere. There would be no more discrimination concerning the body or gender; there
would be no more rapes. All romantic relationships would be based on the affinity of two people
and there would be no relationships based solely on sex. But obviously the lack of sexual impulses
would also lead to the extinction of mankind.
But sex and food had something in common beyond their usefulness: pleasure. Humans eat not
just because they’re hungry, but because they love to feel different flavors in their mouth; humans
don’t have sex just to reproduce, but to experience the pleasure of orgasm. These are pleasures you
get used to, as if they were a drug. Natural impulses are used as an excuse to pursue those pleasures.
A creature without those impulses is like a ship without a sail. Servants cannot say they have
needs because they don't have them and therefore seek the pleasure to feel alive.
Alessandro's free thinking stopped when Saber stopped eating. The girl smiled at him and
thanked him. He shook his head, with a hint of sadness, and offered, one day, to take her to a place
to eat well.
That night, Alessandro and Saber headed into an abandoned building waiting for a challenger. It
was then that they saw Friedrich Wolff arrive together with Specter. As soon as Alessandro saw his
rival’s Servant he immediately perceived her magical energy. He held back the fright. He hoped he
had the strongest Servant, and now he had one in front of him who could’ve killed Saber. Friedrich
saw Saber and then shifted his attention to Alessandro Serpi and said to him:
“Hallo. You must be my opponent. I'm Friedrich. Friedrich Wolff.”
“Alessandro Serpi. Do you belong to the Rote Mäntel?”
“No... but you belong to the Coven.”
“I hope you’re ready to fight, Friedrich. Because I will win this war.”
“We'll see that, priest.”

153
154
 CHAPTER 21
Specter stood in front of Friedrich Wolff and, seeing Saber, licked her own lips.
“You really are a beautiful woman. You have beautiful shapes. Saber class, huh? Well, if it had
been up to me, I would’ve put you in the whore class.”
“You insult me like we're on the same level, but don't worry... I'll be happy to make you crawl
like a worm.”
Saber drew her sword. Two blades came out of Specter’s arms. The two Servants launched their
first attacks; neither hurt the other. Specter’s style was agile and quick; Saber was having a hard
time keeping up with that opponent, but she kept parrying. The two girls, in this deserted corridor,
moved their battle to a room full of rubble and garbage of all kinds.
Saber continued to follow a defensive tactic without allowing herself to be put in difficulty by
the opponent. Specter managed to break the opponent’s guard and wound Saber in her right side.
“You’re too slow, my little Saber,” she said laughing.
“And you’re too stupid.”
Saber jumped and, sword in hand, wounded Specter's arm.
“Bitch!” Specter exclaimed.
Saber kicked Specter and she fell out of a window and crashed hard to the ground. The two girls
resumed dueling outside the building and this time it was Specter who was in a defensive position.
Saber slashed several times and, when she managed to open Specter's guard, a kick hit her in the
face. Saber grabbed Specter's leg, but several blades came out and wounded her hand. Specter
jumped back and hit the opponent at very high speed, breaking part of her armor. Saber attempted
to counterattack, but Specter had already distanced herself.
It was really hard to deal with an opponent who was pulling blades out of her body. Saber didn’t
know the identity of her opponent, but she understood that Specter was much stronger than an
ordinary Heroic Spirit.
Specter, smiling, said, “You’re truly stubborn King of Tyrants.”
Saber had a moment of confusion. “You know my identity?”
“I’m a knowledge demon. Obviously there are limits to my powers, but I recognize Heroic
Spirits with some fame. Where I come from, the story of the King of Tyrants is perfectly known.
You have many names, you know? Some call you ‘King of Conquerors’ and others ‘Semiramis of
Rome’... it’s not easy not to know you.”
“I love it when people lick my feet... but I'm not going to have a bootlicker from the depths of
Avernus.”
“Haha! You really are rude, Caesar. Your words are sharp, but my blades are sharper.”
Two huge wings sprouted from Specter's back. The girl rose into the air. The wings turned to
golden metal and the individual feathers became as sharp as blades. The girl named her Noble
Phantasm:
The Dog with Griffin Wings
“Caacrinolaas !”
Two hundred blades were fired from the wings. Saber had little chance of dodging the attack.

Neither Master had noticed what was happening outside the building. The two were focused only
on their battle.
“Feuerwolf!” Friedrich had summoned a fire wolf.
Alessandro was forced to dodge several fireballs spat out by the beast. The boy hid behind a wall
and prepared to fight back.
“Adversarium Ferio” he exclaimed snapping his fingers.
Friedrich and the wolf he summoned were both overwhelmed by the powerful magical push.
Alessandro thought he had gotten rid of the fire beast, but when he heard the howl he retreated
behind another cover so as not to get hit. Friedrich's magical wolves were very quick to attack,
Alessandro still had burn marks on his leg that the healing Magecraft hadn't been able to erase. That

155
wound reminded him that the beast's attacks were faster than his defense Magecraft. He had to be
very careful.
Friedrich, meanwhile, got up and, with a whistle, called the wolf. He stroked the animal, the wolf
behaved with Friedrich as if it were a domesticated dog. The boy said:
“Eiswolf.”
The wolf's mantle turned to ice. Friedrich, therefore, set out to hunt Alessandro with this beast
whose presence froze the glass in its vicinity.
“Acies Gladii!”
Alessandro summoned three magical swords which were fired at Friedrich. The ice wolf released
a kind of vapor from its mouth which generated a wall of ice of at least two meters; the swords
struck the ice. Alessandro ran towards that ice wall and touched it with one hand, snapped his
fingers with the other hand.
“Anguis Glaciei!”
A snake made of ice came out of the wall and bit the wolf with its jaws. Friedrich, opened the
window and leaned out.
Meanwhile, Alessandro hoped he had succeeded in eliminating that wolf. Because of the ice wall
he couldn't see anything, but his ears suggested the battle was over. The boy was about to use a
Magecraft to destroy that wall when, suddenly, Friedrich came out of the window and punched him.
Alessandro fell backwards and snapped his fingers immediately.
“Adversarium Ferio!”
Friedrich slammed into the wall. Alessandro got up, hoping to have knocked out the opponent.
As he approached, Friedrich jumped to get back on his feet.
“What are you? Some kind of ninja?” Alessandro asked a little exhausted.
“Ever heard of parkour?”
“So the answer is ‘yes’.”
“And it's also the answer to the question: will I defeat you?”

Saber had managed to survive Specter's Noble Phantasm, her wounds healed thanks to
Alessandro's magical energy. Specter was surprised to see Saber still alive.
“These aren’t things you see every day... how did you...?”
“I'm very... lucky” Saber said, smiling.
Saber tried to hit Specter, but the latter lowered and, with a blade sticking out of the foot,
jumped, rotating backwards, in an attempt to cut the rival's throat. Saber blocked the attack with the
sword and then resumed attacking.
Specter was visibly nervous. She hoped she'd managed to demoralize her opponent, but Saber
wasn't an easy enemy to corner. Specter then jumped on Saber and said:
The Smiling Dog of Hell
“Caassimolar !”
With a blade enveloped in purple smoke, Specter stabbed Saber's shoulder and then leapt
backward. Saber had a moment of lightheadedness, her head spun for a few seconds and she closed
her eyes. As soon as the girl opened her eyes, she began to see this terrifying face of a dog with a
demonic smile. Wherever she turned, she saw nothing but that horrible face with those two fiery
eyes staring at her. It was a powerful illusion and Saber had no idea what was going on around her;
except that face, the only thing she saw was total darkness.
Specter was behind Saber, ready to slit her throat. Saber was completely disoriented and
overwhelmed with fear. In that darkness, however, the girl could hear footsteps behind her. Specter
attacked. Saber jumped back and dodged the blow.
“What?!” Specter was shocked, she didn't know how to explain such a stroke of luck.
Saber smiled and, even though she couldn't see Specter, she knew exactly where she was.
“Apparently Fortuna is on my side.”
“Tch! You haven't won yet, Saber...”
“Give me a minute.”

156
 Specter, again, attempted to attack Saber, but the latter dodged the blow and the next one as well.
The third attack was even blocked. Saber's sword emitted a golden light, the girl was ready to use
the Noble Phantasm. Specter then distanced herself from Saber, but didn’t realize that the sacred
blade was cutting the darkness and thus nullifying the illusion. Saber could see again, but she had
no intention of letting Specter know. She pretended to be still under the effect of the illusion and
gave the opponent the opportunity to get closer.
Specter, blades ready, leapt to attack Saber from behind. Saber turned. She moved the sword.
Sword of Certain Victory
“Crocea Mors !”

The powerful Noble Phantasm was perceived by the two Masters who were fighting. Alessandro
noticed Friedrich's worried gaze and asked him:
“Why are you fighting the Holy Grail War?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I’ve a weird feeling, I know it's stupid... but I think you're not like the other magi. You're not
here for yourself, aren't you?”
“Why would a Coven magus ask these questions to me?” Friedrich’s attitude was adverse.
“I serve the Coven, it’s true, but I’m not here of my will and I don’t want to kill anyone. I'm
trying not to kill, I don't want to live with guilt...”
Friedrich could feel the sincerity in Alessandro’s words, but he didn't totally trust him.
“You say very strong things for being a member of the Coven. Generally people like you just
follow orders and that’s it, but if what you tell me is true then it means that you’re some kind of
heretic.”
“I’m not a heretic nor a traitor. I just want to avoid killing—”
“Well, that will make you both. I grew up with Rote Mäntel, I know these things. I want to be
honest with you, priest: people like you don't have a good ending.”
“So... you're telling me I should kill you?”
“I'm telling you to pay attention to the choices you make. Talking to me, instead of fighting me,
will put you on a one-way path. I speak only from personal experience.”
Alessandro had no intention of betraying the Coven, his only goal was to end the Holy Grail War
as quickly as possible. Part of him was willing to fight, but another, for some reason, wanted to talk
to that boy. There was something about Friedrich that attracted him, but he couldn't explain what.
Maybe the fact that he was a traitor? He couldn't say for sure, but he was convinced he didn't want
to face him.
“Tell me why you’re here,” Alessandro said.
“I’ve questions that only one person can answer.”
“Who are you talking about?”
“The overseer. Veronica Drakenberg.”
“Yuki—” It was like a spasm of a moment. Hearing that name aloud conjured up an image of
this girl that he had seen in his nightmares. “Yu... ki... ko...?”
“Who?” Friedrich was confused.
“The name... isn’t Veronica... is... that's a fake name, I'm sure. I don't know why, but I'm sure
it's fake.”
“Do you know her? She has pink hair and... green eyes, if I remember correctly. She has a
strange dress, with one sleeve longer than the other.”
“One sleeve...?” His eyes widened in terror. “No way... she’s... real?” he asked in a low voice.
“You said she has a false name, what is her real name? Yukiko?”
“I... think so... I don’t know... I...” He was sweating and was constantly scratching his head.
“I don't know anything else, I don't know how—wait! There’s another feature that I’ve noticed:
she doesn’t appear to have magical energy.”
Alessandro looked at Friedrich with two eyes overflowing with terror. He stammered a single
name:

157
 “Yu—Yukiko... Kumahira. Yukiko Kumahira.” He began to breathe heavily. “Yukiko
Kumahira!”
“Who is she?”
“YUKIKO KUMAHIRA!” he shouted agitatedly.
Friedrich approached Alessandro to reassure him. “Calm down, damn it! Tell me who’s she, why
are you afraid of her? What did she do?”
Alessandro looked Friedrich in the eye and murmured:
“She destroyed the world.”

The two Servants were stopped by their respective Masters. That the battle ended in a draw didn't
please either of them. Both Masters, aware of the wrong done to their Heroic Spirits, explained the
situation. The two Servants didn't protest, but unlike the Masters, they didn't chat to each other.
Alessandro was still shaken and didn't seem ready to resume the discussion about Yukiko, but
Friedrich needed to know more.
“How do you feel?” he asked approaching Alessandro, who was sitting on the floor.
“I’m sorry for my reaction,” he said with a regretful look.
“You don’t have to worry, I understand. So, how about telling me about this ‘end of the world’?”
“You don’t believe me?”
“I... I don’t know... there are too many things that aren’t clear to me. Can you explain to me what
happened?”
“You know... I think I'm dead.”
“You look pretty alive to be dead” he said ironically.
“I’m dead, Friedrich, I'm sure of it. Everything that breathes around us is dead. Yukiko destroyed
everything, I'm sure I saw it with my own eyes.”
“What did you see?”
“Some kind of creature... a dragon. Black flames came out of its mouth and these destroyed
everything. I saw the stars disappear... and the world burn... and I felt like... I was dying. I saw my
body turn to dust. I was helpless...”
“How did this happen?”
“The Holy Grail of Yggdrasil.”
“And why are we all alive?”
“Do you expect me to know? I don’t know anything. What I tell you is something that not even I
understand, I only tell you what haunts me in my nightmares.”
“So it could all be a lie—”
“Do you really believe it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then we are in the same boat.” Alessandro got up and, turning to Friedrich, said in a dark voice:
“If you want to fight alone, stay away from that girl. She’s dangerous. Really dangerous.”
“No. I will not fight alone. We can team up if you want.”
“What?” He raised his eyebrows.
“If what you say is true, then we must cooperate.”
“So... you believe me?”
“For now, yes.” His hand advanced. “Let's help each other, Alessandro Serpi.”
Alessandro never thought he would meet a friend in the infamous Holy Grail War. There was
something about Friedrich that gave him confidence in himself. He held out his hand.
“I'm with you, Friedrich Wolff.”
The two shook hands.

“...and so I took the sword and stood in front of all my comrades and started fighting the
barbarians with my head held high!”

158
 Specter clapped, entranced by Saber's story. The four were at the table in Alessandro's hotel
room, and the two Masters were shocked at the ease with which the two Servants were building
their friendship.
“So you killed them all?” Specter asked with a sadistic look.
“I've killed enough of those barbarians,” she replied with pride.
“Haha! This is the Caesar that I like!”
Alessandro was genuinely shocked by Saber's friendly attitude, but he was also happy that there
weren’t too many problems between the two Servants; it was necessary to collaborate. Alessandro
didn’t know, however, how to deal with Friedrich.
Friedrich Wolff was a really interesting guy: he was introverted, but not shy; when he was alone
he played the guitar and, when he was with others, he either listened or talked only if someone
spoke directly to him. He was polite, but it was clear that he preferred to do things his way. In
Italian, Alessandro would’ve called him a cane sciolto12.
Alessandro knew nothing of Friedrich’s family and didn’t ask questions for fear of sounding too
intrusive. He was aware that he was behaving in a slightly immature way, after all Friedrich wasn't
there to have fun. Alessandro, however, wasn’t used to having a friend and, for this reason, he
wanted to get to know Friedrich more.
It was three in the morning. No one had gone to sleep yet. The two Servants were watching
television together and the two Masters were clearing the table.
“Friedrich... um... you said you worked for Rote Mäntel, right? Why did you leave the
organization?”
“It's not a short story, I don't think you care.”
“I do.”
Friedrich sighed. “It’s not easy to grow up as a magus. The education system of the Rote Mäntel
is strict and gives birth to very powerful and loyal magi. The sons and daughters of magi, born in
Germany, are destined to move to Hamburg to become part of the Rote Mäntel. At ten they begin
their studies of Magecraft and, after six years, they have to choose a teacher with the assistance of
their parents. The teacher will train them to use a particular Magecraft and, after three years, there’s
an exam to admit these boys into the ranks of the Rote Mäntel.” Friedrich sat down. “I was nineteen
when I saw my teacher, Sigwald Stein, commit suicide before my eyes.”
Alessandro opened his mouth in shock. “How...?”
“A self-combustion Magecraft, things not generally taught in academies.”
“But... why did he...?”
“I'm sorry, Alessandro, but I don't feel like talking about it at the moment. You just need to know
that since then, I’ve stopped believing in the Rote Mäntel and have decided to believe in myself and
in my path.”

January 29, 2021 - Day 3

Alessandro Serpi and Friedrich Wolff were studying a strategy to fight the various Masters who
participated in the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil, in the meantime, their two Servants were taking a
bath.
In the bathtub, shared by the two girls, Specter, with a perverse smile, approached Saber and
touched her breast.
“How the hell did you get such big tits? I want your boobs, you fucking succubus!”
Saber didn't seem to have problems with Specter’s act. It was as if she was enjoying being
touched by that Servant.
“Do you like my body? I'm not surprised. I'm a descendant of the goddess of beauty Venus! I'm
the best wife for every husband and the best husband for every wife!”

12
Literally: ‘dog without a leash’. In English it’s called ‘maverick’.

159
 “Damn it! You remind me of Marchosias, my sister, that bitch has breasts that are gigantic. She's
practically a fucking cow!” she said with a devilish smile. “Haha! I hate that bitch, but maybe I
might like you... you just have to let me suck your boobs!”
“I don't think I will. I'm Caesar, not a slum prostitute.”
Specter released her grip and went to the other end of the tub. “Not funny. Look, changing the
subject, why the hell are you fighting this war?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I mean... I thought you had it all. This is a war of the desperate, didn't you know? Only those
who didn’t get what they wanted in life bet everything in the afterlife. It’s actually an act of charity
on the part of the World Soul. We demons jokingly call it: The Mother Who Listens to the
Desires of the Children. But I'm digressing... does your soul have any regrets, Caesar? It's actually
a rhetorical question, you wouldn't be here if you didn't have any regrets.”
“We all have regrets, don't we?”
“A half truth, but I grant it to you. So, Gaius Julius Caesar, what is your regret?”
“Well, one of my regrets is that I’ve never been able to talk to my son Brutus. Something must
have separated us and I don't know what—”
“So, you’re not mad at him for what he did to you?”
“Why should I? His betrayal, painful as it was, I believe had a reason of its own. We all do
horrendous acts for something greater, something better. I killed a lot of people to get power, he had
to kill me to—”
“You already know what happened next. The empire. Your son's betrayal led to nothing.”
“But he wanted something—”
“Something you hated, or am I wrong? Your son would’ve preferred a corrupt republic to a
healthy empire. Your son became your enemy and never believed in your goals. His first reaction to
your betrayal, if I'm not mistaken, was to side with your worst enemy. You spared his life and,
foolishly, set him free. There’s nothing to understand, Caesar, nothing to talk about. He simply
never cared about your dreams.”
“I believed in him—”
“So? Humans do stupid things for stupid reasons. To sublimate acts of madness is madness in
itself... human stubbornness is almost picturesque to us demons, but it’s also one more reason to
mock you. You should’ve anticipated your son’s actions and you should’ve sent him to die, but you
didn't. You didn't do it for idiotic reasons that ultimately cost you your life. The funny and almost
pathetic thing about you is that what you should’ve done to your son, you should’ve done to the
senators as well. But you didn't. You let your enemies live and forgave them. You were either too
sure of yourself or too naive, it doesn't matter, but your stupidity was fatal to you and you died. It
wasn’t the senators who killed Gaius Julius Caesar... Gaius Julius Caesar killed Gaius Julius
Caesar.”
Saber didn't say a word. She left the bathtub and walked away. Specter felt good to have
discovered the girl's soft spots, she was treating her like an enemy because she was sure she
would’ve to face her again someday.

“We must go on without too many risks in this war”

Alessandro spoke these words to Friedrich. The two Masters, in front of a map of London, armed
themselves with a red marker to mark the points where the clashes were to take place. Alessandro
said:
“The areas where fights are most likely to break out are large parks: Hyde Park, Green Park, St.
James’s Park, Holland Park and Regent’s Park. They’re open areas and at night there’s less chance
of meeting someone. I'm excluding empty construction sites, abandoned houses and old factories.”
“I see you're focusing on the Westminster borough. Can I know why?”
“Because this is where I located the Masters.”
“Do you think there will be no battles beyond the Thames?” Friedrich asked doubtfully.

160
 “Battersea Park is a possibility.”
“No, any park in the vicinity of Westminster is a possibility. My idea is simple: we attract
Masters in positions that we know. I would recommend avoiding some parks like Wormwood
Scrubs, there’s a prison nearby. We can fight at about 1 am, when the parks are less crowded.”
“Yeah, it could work” Alessandro commented, convinced.
“We have to fight one Servant at a time. The less the better.”
“What if they attack us first?”
“Our goal is to take them to a park, even if they attack us in the city. There must be no civilian
casualties.”
“It will be complicated, but I can do it.”
“Then we have to find a way not to let the Coven know that we’re collaborating. Any idea?”
“All magi in the Coven can identify the number of Magic Circuits possessed by a magus. It
won’t be easy to deceive them.”
“Wait, they really can do such a thing?” Friedrich asked in shock.
“Yes. I know you have one hundred and seventy-six Magic Circuits.”
“Fuck...” he exclaimed in a low voice. “We’re fucked.”
“But I can use a Magecraft to hinder their perception.”
“Can it really work?”
“I hope.”
“Ok, so here's what we will do: today we’ll go out to study the different parks in the Westminster
district, we must understand their characteristics and know how we can use them to win the
different battles.”
“In a day?!”
“Yes, I know, London is fucking big... but we can't fight in places we don't even know. I hope
you have some money, otherwise we'll have to use our dear legs.”
“Okay, we'll follow your plan... um...”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, is just... er... what do we do if we meet Yukiko?” Alessandro asked sweating. “I don't want
to be pessimistic, but we can't rule out that possibility. Do you propose to fight against her?”
“Well, I don't know how strong she is. It’s you, Alessandro, who must tell me what to do. If you
want to avoid her and stop the other Masters first, I'm with you.”
“I'm afraid to fight her, Friedrich...” A profound fear was painted on Alessandro’s face. “Not for
me, but for the others. I’ve seen—or at least I’ve dreamed of the massacres of her. She has no
mercy on anyone. Humans are like objects to her. Civilian casualties cannot be avoided when that
girl is confronted.”
“Okay, we'll avoid her for now... but if she does involve innocent people, we can't let it go.”
“I know...”

161
162
 CHAPTER 22

London in the morning was a city full of life, noisy, but tremendously fascinating. It was
impossible not to fall in love with the city and its monuments; in London you could even find old
pubs whose history was as interesting as that of some of the city’s ancient riches.
Alessandro had fallen in love with the Wellington Arch, especially for the quadriga that was on
the top; the whole monument seemed like a gateway to heaven. He had been staring at it for at least
ten minutes, always changing his observation point in order to better admire that masterpiece. From
Friedrich he learned that in the past, on top of the monument, there was an equestrian statue of
Arthur Wellesley. Alessandro commented on this:
“Better the goddess of victory than a military man.”
With the two Masters there were also the Servants, but they had put on ordinary clothes so as not
to be noticed. Saber, hearing Alessandro’s words, said:
“Victoria is always at the side of the men of war.”
Alessandro said nothing.
In the Millbank area it was possible to visit the Tate Britain, an art museum that Alessandro
recognized. Friedrich, noticing the boy's expression, asked what was troubling him and Alessandro
told Friedrich that he had dreamed of a chat he had with Yukiko right in front of Tate Britain; the
boy, however, didn’t remember what they had said to each other.
In the City of Westminster, the most interesting district was probably Soho. Piccadilly Circus
was the area that Friedrich most liked and he pointed to a nearby bar where they stopped to eat.
“I've never seen neon signs” Alessandro commented.
“Really? Well, Piccadilly Circus is more beautiful to see at night. When the war is over, I advise
you to see it.”
“The statue of Eros is also very beautiful.”
“Are you talking about the Shaftesbury Fountain? No, it’s not Eros, many are confused. It’s
actually Anteros. But don't worry, Clovis made the same mistake too.”
“Who?”
“Clovis. My brother.”
“Older or younger?”
“Older...” he answered in a sad voice.
“What’s wrong?”
“Well, I had a brother.”
“Oh,” Alessandro exclaimed, feeling guilty for having evoked a sad memory.
“He brought me here when I was still a teenager. He took me to Piccadilly Circus... and we ate in
this bar.” Friedrich paused. “He wanted me to be present on the most important day of his life...
when he made the proposal to Angelica. She said yes at the foot of that fountain.” A sad laugh
came out of his mouth. “When I asked him why he had chosen to make the proposal right there, he
said: ‘I think the statue of Eros will bring me luck.’ A passing Londoner corrected him and said:
‘no, sir, that's actually the statue of Anteros’.” Friedrich laughed. “Clovis looked at his wife,
shrugged and said: ‘well, it means we’ll have the blessing of an unknown god. Better than nothing,
right?’ What an idiot... I miss him. I really miss my brother.”
“How long had they been together?”
“Angelica and Clovis? Well, before they got engaged they had been a couple since childhood.
Theirs is one of those stories you don't hear often. They were meant to be together, they knew
everything about each other. They were soul mates. They weren't just lovers, they were also friends.
The only problem was that he couldn’t tell her about the Rote Mäntel.”
“She was human, then.”
“Yes, she was. As far as I know, Clovis planned to abandon the Rote Mäntel and flee with his
wife and children here to London, where they would be protected by the Mage’s Association.”

163
 “Why didn't it happen?”
“Clovis’s daughter fell ill. Tuberculosis. She died... and Clovis couldn't handle the impact. So
he...”
Alessandro understood. He didn't need to hear more. “And Angelica?”
“You don't want to know what happens when the Rote Mäntel find out about these illicit
relationships. Love doesn't matter to them. A magus cannot love a human.”
From Piccadilly Circus the two Masters resumed their journey which ended late at night.
Alessandro said goodbye to Friedrich and returned to his hotel room with Saber, who was worrying
about the way he acted with Specter’s Master.
“I don't understand you, Master. Why do you talk to Friedrich so much, but feel embarrassed to
talk to me? I’m your Servant, your comrade in arms and you ignore me. Can I know why?”
“We’re different, Saber, that’s all” he said without even looking into her eyes.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Didn’t you tell me I had to make friends? I made a friend! What’s the problem?”
“It’s—”
“Not you? Well, I'm sorry, but it’s not my fault we have nothing in common.”
“We have a war that unites us—”
“Is not the same thing! You can't ask me to be your friend just because we’re fighting the same
war! I don’t even want to fight this war! I want to end it! I’m not like you! You’re Gaius Julius
Caesar! You like to fight, you like to wage war and you like to conquer! I’m not like that...”
“Then just cancel the Contract, right? Why the hell are you keeping me here? You're just
wasting my time, Master! I need to collaborate with people who are willing to do good teamwork,
but if you behave like this I can’t trust you. You can't really think of just relying on a person who
was our enemy until a day ago—”
“I can't help it, Saber, I feel like him. I feel that... he can understand me...”
“What is there to understand? Do you think you’re so special that only one person can
understand you?”
“No, but I'm sure you can't understand me. We're cooperating, yes, but we both know it won't
last long. You’ll disappear and I’ll be alone again. I can't be friends with a ghost.”
Those words hit Saber like a dagger. The girl couldn’t answer and she remained motionless, eyes
wide and mouth open; Alessandro understood that he had been too abrupt towards her.
“Saber, I—”
“Shut up,” she said gravely. “You have to shut up. Who do you think you are? Do you have any
idea who I am?” Her eyes flared up. “I’m Gaius Julius Caesar. I’ve fought wars everywhere and
performed feats that no mortal has ever been able to repeat. I’ve changed the world more than any
other person. I destroyed and I created. You, brat, don't you dare to talk to me as if I were any
Servant. I'm not from a fucking mythology, my victories aren’t made up and my deeds are as real as
the air you breathe. Don't you dare call me ‘a ghost’... because this fucking world, the world you
live in, is my shadow. On my imprint your modern civilization has arisen... if I had never been
born, this world of yours would’ve been totally different.”
What Alessandro had in front of him was no longer the kind Saber with the joyful and almost
childish attitude, the one in front of him was the dictator: Caesar.
“Watch your tongue, boy,” she said “otherwise I’ll have to punish you as we Romans did.”
An arrow broke the window and pierced Alessandro’s shoulder. The boy fell to the ground
screaming in pain and Saber’s anger was replaced by worry; the girl rescued the Master and took
him behind a wall. Wasting no time, Saber broke the arrowhead and turned the boy; she forcefully
pulled out the rest of the arrow and Alessandro let out a loud cry of pain.
“Forgive me, Master, but it had to be done. It was the only way. Do you have any medicines?”
“I...”
“Do you have any medicines?” she repeated aloud.
“I know a Magecraft, I can use it.”

164
 “Good. Then do what you have to do, I take care of the bastard who dared to attack us.”
Saber summoned her combat armor along with her sword. She went back to the bedroom, where
Alessandro had been attacked, but no arrow came. This could mean that Archer had retired, or that
he had decided to change tactics.
The girl went into the dining room and saw no one. Another arrow broke the window and Saber
deflected it with the sword.
“Scorpio!”
A Roman artillery weapon appeared and automatically fired a dart at Archer. The man, who was
on the roof of a building, dodged the dart and, confused, asked his Master:
“I thought she was a Saber.”
“She is,” Hisae said. “I’ve no idea why she has a ranged weapon, but I'm sure she’s a Saber. Get
rid of that... thing.”
“Sure, Master.”
Archer shot two arrows at Saber’s summoned weapon, which destroyed it completely. The girl,
noticing the devastating effect of those attacks, worried about her Master’s health.
“Saber...” it was Alessandro’s voice.
The girl turned and when she saw the Master still wounded she asked him, shocked:
“Why didn't you heal yourself? I thought you had—”
“I think... there was something magical about that arrow, something that inhibits the Magic
Circuits... and prevents me from using Magecraft. I need a hospital.”
“No problem, but you'll have to hold on to me.”
“Are you sure you can lift me up?”
“Don’t worry.”
Saber picked up Alessandro and jumped out of the window regardless of height. The girl fell to
her feet on the asphalt without problems and she started running.
“All right, Master, where should I take you?”
“The nearest hospital... I don't know London...”
“Okay... and how do I recognize it?”
“The red cross... if you see a red cross... it’s the right place.”
“Red cross. Fine.”
The girl dodged an arrow with great skill and then muttered in an annoyed voice:
“If Genitor had been with me, I wouldn’t have had any problems.”
Archer was still holding Saber at gunpoint when Hisae warned him of the arrival of another
Servant. The man turned and shot an arrow at Lancer, who had just landed on the roof. The woman
managed to avoid the arrow and hit Archer with a kick; the man did an aerial somersault and landed
on his feet.
Hisae immediately went in search of Lancer’s Master and came face to face with Tetsuya
Murakawa. The man punched the girl. Hisae managed not to fall from the roof and Murakawa
quietly approached her with his hands in his pockets; it seemed he wasn't even bothering about the
battle itself.
“Brats, brats and more brats... what the fuck is going on here? Did they open the doors of the
kindergarten or what?”
“You seem pretty sure of yourself—”
“Mm? Do you think I should tremble at the sight of a high school girl?” He stopped and took out
a cigarette. “You know... it's not like I’ve a problem breaking your face... even if you’re a girl. My
punches don't discriminate, but personally I find it a waste of time fighting with children.” He
started smoking.
“So I assume you’re an animal.”
“A killer. But yes... I like being aggressive with people. When I'm done with you, your face will
look like a cubist painting.”

165
 “It won't be that easy, I assure you.” The girl made the gun sign with her hand and exclaimed,
“Sióg!”
Seven bullets of light were fired forward; they looked like seven fireflies, both in appearance and
in size. Murakawa was hit by one of these bullets and was pushed off the roof by an incredible
magical force. The man fell to his feet without hurting himself.
The girl called Archer and the two left the roof to reach the first park that was nearby. Hisae had
no intention of fighting in a confined space and only a park could do for her.
Hyde Park was reached.
Hisae was tired and sweating a lot, she had to catch her breath. She turned only for a moment
and saw another Master approach her: Nishijima Kazuki. Hisae also sensed Murakawa Tetsuya.
When the three Masters found themselves in the park, the girl felt surrounded. Fear gripped her
body and she was unable to move and even to think rationally; she just wanted to get out of that
unpleasant situation.
Tetsuya, seeing Kazuki with Rider, forgot about the girl and exclaimed:
“Last time it worked out for you, brat. This time I'm going to punch your spine out.”
“You don't scare me, you piece of shit.”
Hisae didn’t interfere, indeed, knowing that she wasn’t the center of attention reassured her and
with Archer she left the battlefield.
Lancer and Rider were about to collide, but at that moment Specter arrived. The two Masters
saw Friedrich Wolff approaching, he didn't seem too worried about the battle. With a nod of
contempt he turned to both rivals and said:
“I hope you’re ready to surrender.”

To Specter's right was Lancer, to the left was Rider. The two Servants sensed something
anomalous in this girl with elf ears; they understood that she wasn’t just any Heroic Spirit.
Lancer was the first to attack, Specter nimbly dodged the spear and jumped to Rider. The katana-
armed Servant moved to strike a blow that, in theory, should’ve decapitated the opponent; a blade
came out of Specter’s arm and the katana’s path was deflected, putting Rider in a dangerous
position. Specter tried to hurt Rider, but she bent down and passed behind her rival; Lancer
intervened immediately. Rider parried the spear strike, but provided Lancer with the opportunity to
jump ahead of Specter. The demonic Servant, seeing Lancer coming, jumped back and, with a blade
sticking out of her foot, kicked her opponent.
Lancer, wounded in the shoulder, temporarily moved away from the two opponents. Rider tried
several times to hit the demonic girl, but on the sixth hit the difference in speed was clear. Specter,
with an evil smile, went on the attack without giving Rider a moment’s break. Specter’s blows were
swift and, due to the blades coming out of all parts of the body, they were also unpredictable.
Rider was injured several times.
“Am I too fast for you, samurai?” Specter spoke those words with a derisive smile.
“Don't even think about treating me this way. I swear on my honor that you won’t leave this
battle alive.”
“I can finally see some fire in those eyes... a real shame that I’ll have to extinguish it.”
Lancer, without anyone noticing, hit Specter with a kick. Rider, seeing the demonic girl come
upon her, prepared to pierce her heart. Specter, with one swift movement, parried Rider’s blow and
nimbly executed a headscissors takedown.
Specter leapt to her feet and dodged Lancer’s blow, did an aerial spin and kicked. Lancer dodged
the kick. Specter was wounded in the stomach by a lightning fast attack.
“You’re mine!” Lancer exclaimed.
Specter, with an awkward movement, grabbed Lancer’s calf with one hand; several blades came
out of Specter’s palm. Lancer held back the exclamation of pain, but couldn’t stay straight. Specter
leapt onto Lancer’s back and, with blades coming out of her fingers, began hitting the opponent

166
frantically. Lancer used the spear to hit Specter and take her off, but she was too wounded to be
able to resume a battle.
The other Masters weren’t paying attention to the battle as they were fighting each other. Specter
was recovering and saw that Friedrich was doing very well against Tetsuya and Kazuki.
“Maybe it’s right that I also give my best,” she said in a low voice and with a sadistic smile.
The two Servants were still injured, but they were healing fast enough. Specter didn’t have to
waste time and so, opening her arms, she said:
The Thirty-six Legions of the Infernal President
“Classyalabolas .”
The earth began to shake, even the three Masters had to stop because they were frightened by the
immense magical energy that was released by Specter. Behind Specter appeared a kind of crack that
widened to create a real portal. Friedrich immediately understood that it was a gateway to Hell.
From that breach came long demonic arms that were followed by monstrous faces on bodies or
armored or naked and rotten.
Rider and Lancer, seeing those foul creatures, couldn’t hide their concern. The monsters behind
Specter were real demons. The girl, in a proud tone, exclaimed:
“I hope you’re ready to face two hundred and sixteen thousand demons.”
That number frightened even Friedrich. Two hundred and sixteen thousand demons would
destroy London, that was sure. Specter’s move had been reckless and Friedrich was ready to use a
Command Spell to force the Servant to cancel the Noble Phantasm. Something stopped him. It
wasn’t terror, but Specter’s gaze. The girl didn't seem sure what she was doing. A little while ago
she had a victorious look, but her expression had changed completely. Friedrich thought that the girl
had realized the mistake made, but he had no idea what was actually happening.
Specter could hear the thoughts of the demons serving her. Opening the gates of Hell, she could
clearly hear frightened voices and turned to see her own demons hesitating to attack and returning
inside the portal. It was something absurd, almost tragicomic. The demons, generally very powerful
and fearless creatures, were hiding like frightened rats. Specter’s eyes widened in shock. Her own
Noble Phantasm wasn’t working. It was something impossible, but there could be only one
explanation. No one could scare demons that much, no one except...
“Sheol...” she murmured that name in a trembling voice.
The portal closed. Specter, instead of resuming the battle, grabbed Friedrich and carried him
away without giving any explanation to the latter. He was in her arms and tried to move away and
convince her to go back, but she refused. He couldn’t resist, Specter was physically stronger than
him... but her gaze wasn’t that of a strong person, but that of a sheep frightened by a wolf.
Friedrich, alarmed, asked:
“What are we running away from?”
“Sheol.”
“Wait, what are you—”
“Sheol is here, Master. Sheol is here.”

A light in the shadow. A memory. No underdeveloped mind can remember its own birth, but that
creature’s mind was not as underdeveloped as a mortal’s. She remembered everything. Every single
moment. From birth to death. In between there were beautiful moments, fragrant like lavender and
bright like summer days. A childhood friend who always gave that light heartbeat, and here came
the parents with their warm smiles and their priceless love. And here came the memories of her
friends, of the most symbolic moments of adolescence surrounded by those typical worries of the
future and those bitter feelings of loneliness.
Everything was golden and fiery at the same time, but it was all suspended on a sea of ice
shrouded in the darkest fog. The death of the parents was the first chapter of that diary of suffering.
The other pages smelled of vomit and cigarettes.
Her mouth was filled with a bitter taste, each time the girl threw up after putting that disgusting
thing in her mouth. Her frail body was adorned with bruises on her stomach, arms and legs. There

167
was shame, embarrassment, fear and the will to die. The mirror was an enemy that reminded her
that she was destined for pain until the end of her time. The only liberation from that man's hands,
the only way to escape from that torture, was to fly. And she flew. For an instant, for that one
instant, she could smile knowing she was free.
In front of a tomb that said the name ‘Harumi Fukano’ there was a hole dug with the hands. A
girl stood with her eyes closed, her hands open and her face to the sky. The rain wet her skin and
the girl smiled wistfully.
The girl left the cemetery and went to her old house, the one inhabited by the ogre. The door was
locked and she effortlessly unhinged it and threw it across the street. The girl entered without any
fear.
In the air she could smell sweat mixed with blood. She went up the stairs and reached a half-
open door. She knocked and open it. A man, completely naked, stood up in fear and when he saw
Harumi’s face he exclaimed:
“What the fuck is going on here?! Harumi?! Is it really you? But you’re—”
“I am,” she stated with a slight smile.
Her eyes rested only for a moment on that girl tied to the bed and in tears. There was her blood
on the sheets. Harumi looked at the man who approached her in an aggressive way.
“Don't you dare talk to me like this, bitch! You, now come here and—”
He grabbed her by the wrist, but his hand immediately lost sensation and went gangrene in an
instant. He screamed in pain and fell back. The girl smiled and walked one step at a time.
“You can’t touch me with your mortal hands. Only those who have no life can face me, you can
only become dust. You don’t notice it, but you’re slowly dying because you’re just a few steps
away from me.”
“Who the fuck are you?!”
“The body? Harumi Fukano. The girl you raped. A fragile body, true, but in my hands it’s like a
weapon. You’ve had a chance to have fun with this costume I’m wearing, but you’ve never thought
about what it means to suffer. Don’t get me wrong, I have no interest in your life, but you’re a
parasite in Harumi’s life and as long as you exist, she will resist. I can’t allow it.”
“What? No! Wait! Don’t kill me! I can give you what you want!”
“Why do you behave like this?” she asked slightly confused. “You’ve always treated people as
objects, so I guess you have no problem being treated as an object yourself. You use people to enjoy
ephemeral pleasure, I use your death to quell Harumi’s anger.”
“Wai—”
“I’m not here to listen to you. I’ve a duty to carry out.”
The girl grabbed the man by the head. He died slowly: he grew old, became all bones and then
became nothing but dust. Harumi’s last gesture was to free the innocent and then she left, giving
way to that dark creature who had taken her body.
The girl left the house and, with a defiant smile, turned to the sky:
“This is my chance, then. This is my chance to drag everything inside of me. Everything will
become Sheol. Everything will become death. Holy Grail of Yggdrasil, you’ve challenged me and
I accept it. You know who I am. I'm neither Life nor Death, I'm Life-in-Death... but you called me
Devourer and I will fight with this label of yours. Have fun, Holy Grail of Yggdrasil, have fun and
watch me as I destroy those weak Heroic Spirits.”

168
 CHAPTER 23

March 18, 2017

Alessandro Serpi had turned sixteen two days earlier. It was Saturday and the boy stayed quietly
in his room reading a fantasy book. From the room he could hear his mother crying because she had
just lost her job. Alessandro knew that with just five thousand euros in the bank they couldn't go
very far and, with his unemployed mother, it would probably be up to him to work to maintain the
house and the family. He had been volunteering at the library for almost two years, surely they
would have hired him at least for a part-time job.
“I can't go on like this anymore! I can’t! I can't fucking do this!”
He heard his mother cry out. She screamed and moaned. Alessandro had never heard his mother
in that state. Those words frightened him.

March 22, 2017

169
 It was a Wednesday like any other when Alessandro returned home from school. He greeted his
mother and saw men dressed like priests. The mother was sitting on the armchair and said:
“Here he is, that is Marco’s son.”
A priest approached Alessandro looked him in the eyes then turned to the the other priest, a little
older and in a red robe:
“What do you think, Davide? For me it’s perfect.”
“In fact, if he’s really the son of Marco Serpi he can be useful to us.”
Alessandro, intimidated, turned to his mother:
“Mom, what's going on? Who are these guys?”
“Alessandro... I don't know how to tell you—”
Davide Ponti interrupted the woman, “You will become a member of the Coven, Alessandro
Serpi.”
“NO! Don’t touch me! I won’t go anywhere! Mom, please, tell them I can't!”
“Alessandro, I can't...” she said avoiding his gaze.
“Wha—Why?” He was shocked. “Tell them it can’t be done... help me... mom—”
“It's I who called them here. I want them to take you away. You must go to the Coven. That’s
all.” Her words were cold and hard as steel.
“Mom...?”
“Alessandro, go with them.”
“But... I don’t want to leave...” His eyes watered. “Did I do something wrong? Mom, please—”
“Please stop. I'm tired of having you around. I want my life back, Alessandro.”
Alessandro could not hold back his tears, his eyes were burning and his vision blurred a little at a
time, he could barely stand up.
“Why...? What have I done wrong?”
“You were born” she replied in an icy tone.
Those words hurt more than any weapon. Those words stopped the boy’s heart. Falling and
crying, he begged to be kept at home
“Mom! Mom! Please don't abandon me! I will be a good son, I promise! Please!”
She turned her back on him.
“ No.”
The two men grabbed the boy. He tried to escape, but Davide Ponti snapped his fingers and said:
“Somnum.”
The boy fell asleep. The men took him away.

March 23, 2017

Alessandro Serpi woke up on a bed thinking that he had only had a night mare, but as soon as he
rubbed his eyes and saw the stone walls and the completely different bedroom, a panic attack came.
He got out of bed at once and headed for the wooden door. He wanted to run away. He wanted to go
home at any cost.
“It will not open. I blocked it with a spell.”
Alessandro saw a man sitting on a nearby chair. He hadn’t noticed him before. This man in white
had closed his Bible and placed it on the table.
“I'm the Grand Master Giovanni Monteverdi X. I apologize for blocking the door but I wanted to
talk to you in peace, I don't want to chase you throughout the church.”
“Let me out. I want to go back home. You can't keep me prisoner, someone will save me—”
“I won’t let you out and it wouldn't make sense for you to go home... because your mother
doesn't want you. Your mother was also the same one who agreed to hand you over to the Coven.
So you're not a prisoner... you are, for all intents and purposes, a member of the Coven. I advise you
to accept your fate.”
“Fuck you. I'd rather live like a vagabond than stay here—”

170
 “I don't think you could do it. You’re weak and inexperienced, you would be like a lamb in a
pack of wolves. You have the chance to become the strongest magus of the whole Italian peninsula.
You have a very high number of Magic Circuits and, as if that weren’t enough, you’re also the son
of Marco Serpi, a former member of our organization. As I see it, your destiny has already been
written. Fighting the inevitable is stupid.”
“I don't want to be a part of this. I don’t care if my father was a part of it, I don’t want to—”
“So are you telling me that you wouldn’t like to know more about your father and maybe meet
him again?”
“I...”
“As I thought,” he commented with a presumptuous grin. “You’re still looking for daddy?”
“I’m not going to answer you—”
“Words cannot hide the face. You’ve already given me the answer and I, since I’m on your side,
will give you the mean.” Giovanni got up and held out his hand, “Welcome to the Coven,
Alessandro Serpi.”

January 30, 2021 - Day 4

Alessandro woke up on a hospital bed. It was morning, his left shoulder was completely
bandaged. A little further on there was Saber, in normal clothes, reading a biography of Napoleon
Bonaparte. When she realized that her Master was awake, she put the book aside and jumped with
enthusiasm; she hugged him and kissed his cheek.
“You’ve recovered, Master!”
“There was no need to worry so much about me... seriously,” he replied shyly.
“A good commander always cares about their troops!”
He certainly couldn’t refuse that affection, but a doubt haunted his mind.
“And... what happened to Archer?”
“I don't know. I left Specter and her Master to do everything.”
He saw Friedrich enter with Specter. Friedrich had a cup of coffee from the hospital vending
machine. When he saw Alessandro, he asked him with religious calm:
“Did you have a good sleep?”
“I don’t generally sleep in hospital beds. How are you, Friedrich? Were you able to defeat
Archer?”
“There have been... complications. There’s a lot you need to know.”
Friedrich told Alessandro about the whole battle that had taken place in Hyde Park, without
hiding the most useless of details from him. Finally, Alessandro looked at Specter and asked her:
“When you talk about Sheol, do you mean Hell?”
Friedrich, slightly surprised, asked the boy, “Do you know what Sheol is?”
“More or less. Sheol is the term used in the Old Testament to refer to the kingdom of the dead
located in the ‘heart of the earth’. Its characteristics are not entirely clear, at least not until the New
Testament.”
“You humans oversimplify, that's the problem,” Specter said. “For us demons there’s a not
insignificant difference between Hell and Sheol. You use many words and often make a lot of
confusion, but the place inhabited by the dead is not the same where the demons live. Hell is ‘home’
for us, but Sheol is something completely different to us... more like what you call ‘Hades’.”
“Sorry for the stupid question: aren’t they the same thing?” Friedrich asked.
“It’s not so,” Saber said. “For us Romans, as for the Greeks, Hades or Avernus is a place
inhabited only by the dead. There are no demons or anything like that.”
“That’s true,” Alessandro added. “Christian mythology invented the idea that the two worlds,
that of demons and the dead, were the same thing, but in fact Greco-Roman mythology never spoke
of demonic creatures in the underworld.”
“So are Hell and Sheol two different things?” Friedrich asked again.

171
 “Yes, that’s the point,” Specter answered with a smile. “The Dark World is formless and always
pointing to the past. Its inhabitants are lifeless shadows without memories. They have no conception
of self and walk aimlessly. They live without living. But don’t make the mistake of considering
Sheol a deity, because she isn’t.”
“Then... what is she?” Friedrich was extremely confused.
“When I said that she’s like Hades, I didn't mean the divinity... but the world. Sheol is not a
queen who rules the Underworld, she is the Underworld. Apparently... she is here. The Holy Grail
of Yggdrasil made her a Servant—”
“Devourer,” Alessandro said in a low voice. “But how? Heroic Spirits were people before they
became Servants. How can an entire world become a Heroic Spirit? I mean, it’s—wait, but
technically there is the Hades-Sheol parallelism...”
“So?” Friedrich didn’t understand.
“Hades was both the world and the divinity. The underworld was, in this sense, personified in
the mythology. The Holy Grail, when creates the spiritual foundation of Servants, doesn’t
distinguish between real people and people who existed in a mythology. If a whole world is
personified in a mythology...”
“...then the Grail treats it as a person.”
“Yes! That’s it! The Holy Grail of Yggdrasil made it possible to summon Sheol because the
Underworld is personified several times in mythologies around the world.”
Specter, then, said, “Well, you've found out why she’s here... now you have to figure out who
the Master is.”

Alessandro was to remain in the hospital for the whole day and Saber stayed with him. Friedrich
decided to go back to his hotel room and didn’t allow himself even a moment of tranquility. It was
impossible, after all, to think of anything else. The Holy Grail War had just taken on a different
face.
It had never been an honest or bloodless competition, but it certainly never had a reputation for
destroying the world. In its origins it was only a way for the various magi organizations to hunt
down the supreme source of knowledge. Rules had been studied to limit the number of participants,
to limit the damage and to make everything as fast as possible. There had been at least three Holy
Grail Wars in the past decade. The First Holy Grail War broke out on November 16, 2001, and it
ended after about a week. It took place in Radzymin, Poland, and ended with the victory of the
Mage’s Association who obtained the Jagiellonian Holy Grail. The Second Holy Grail War broke
out on March 19, 2006, in Kotelniki, Russia. The Holy Grail was won by the Diocese of the Flower,
but it turned out that the relic was just a trivial replica. The Third Holy Grail War was fought on
April 6, 2012, in Chiusdino, Italy. The Holy Grail of Saint Galgano was won by the Mage’s
Association after almost a month of war. That was the longest conflict.
Three conflicts. Not once was the world threatened.
The Fourth Holy Grail War would change things forever, Friedrich was aware of that. Even if he
and Alessandro had won, and that was already in doubt, however, things would’ve changed forever
for the organizations... and for the whole world.
Friedrich didn’t intend to sit idle and called his old friend, Dorian Benard, to discuss the situation
with him. He had heard that he was in London, so it wouldn’t be a problem to meet him.
“Come in,” Friedrich said letting the man into the hotel room. “Glad to see you.”
“My friend, we haven't seen each other in a long time.” He had a French accent. “So, are you
participating in the war? I never expected it from someone like you.”
“Things have happened, maybe it’s better if you sit down.” Friedrich told him everything,
avoiding talking about his alliance with Alessandro Serpi. “What do you think?”
“I'll be honest, your concerns don’t even scratch the surface of the real problem.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s... not easy to say...”

172
 “Tell me, Dorian.”
“I’ve reason to believe that the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil is illegal. I learned of the
investigation of Sir Bradley Jenkins, a Clock Tower professor, and I’ve come to the conclusion that
this war must be stopped at all costs. Everything about this war is out of the ordinary: at the
bureaucratic level there are gaps, the overseer refuses to keep in touch with organizations, the Grail
of Yggdrasil is one of the most dangerous and that's not all...” He took a breath. “The Devourer
class, the ninth Servant class, is anomalous. There’s no Master for the Servant and, as if that were
not enough, it disturbs the balance of the world. All mana is as if it were directly affected by this
Servant and that’s not normal. If this Servant is indeed Sheol, then we have a worldwide problem. A
creature with that power would be capable of exterminating the entire human race.”
“Do you think we have a chance to fight Sheol?”
“Fight her? And how? With the Servants?”
“Sheol is a Servant, it doesn’t matter if she’s omnipotent, she’s still a Servant and she has to
follow rules. She then must have a weakness or something—”
“The Grail...”
“You’re right, if we destroy the Grail all the Servants disappear. She too.”
“But we cannot forget that in order to destroy the Holy Grail, it must first be summoned. We
don’t want to take that kind of risk, not with a rebellious overseer still around.”
“But, for a Holy Grail War to begin, a link must first be opened between the Grail and our world.
If we cut that link—”
“You cannot do it. When the overseer opens the link between our world and the Holy Grail, they
can no longer close it. The Holy Grail will continue to affect our dimensional plane until it’s
summoned.”
“So—”
“We need to think of another way to deal with Sheol. Until then, please don’t put yourself in
danger.”

Alessandro Serpi was still on the bed. He didn't want to sleep. His mind was filled with all kinds
of fears and a part of him was already starting to think about the worst. Sheol wasn’t an enemy like
the others, he had not yet seen her and he had already guessed that it wouldn’t be easy to fight
against such a Servant.
His dark thoughts were interrupted by the somewhat curious image of Saber reading the
biography of Napoleon Bonaparte.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
She looked up and, closing the book, asked in turn:
“Why did you have this with you?”
“I like history, I'm not an expert, but I like it.”
“I see...”
“But what about you? Do you like the book?”
“This man reminds me of me, we are similar in many ways. It is not strange? I find it strange.
How many years has it been since my death? Two thousand? How is it possible that there are still
people who want to emulate me?”
“Well, you were a very important figure for the whole of Europe... you said that yourself.”
“Yes... but I was angry. Maybe I still am.”
“I’m sorry, but—”
“I know you won’t trust me that easily. I understand your difficulties and won’t try to force you.”
“You know... that man always had a thing for you.”
“Really?”
“He needed to compete with you to prove he was better. He needed to be the next Julius Caesar
and in doing this he became the first Napoleon. You two are an example of how great climbs
produce more fatal falls.”

173
 “I think you’re right—”
“But both you and him have sacrificed so many lives to become powerful. Do you ever think
about this? Do you think about the people you killed and who died for you?”
She didn’t answer right away. The girl saw sincere curiosity in his eyes and a part of her didn’t
want to disappoint him.
“I will not speak for Napoleon, but for myself. I grew up in a time of war and civil unrest. I grew
up running away and fighting, running away and fighting, and never once did I really have time to
live my life the way I wanted. I was haunted by debt, by the need to bring justice to my city and I
was constantly surrounded by enemies of all kinds and from all walks of life. I was destined for
politics, my family tradition dictated it to me. But in Rome there are only two types of politicians:
those who make wars and those who are irrelevant. All the great men of Rome were men of war. I
will not lie to you...” She took a deep breath. “I went to Gaul for myself. I didn't care about those
people. I’ve never cried for those men, for those women and for those children, I’ve never shed a
tear. I’ve never felt ashamed when I talked about their deaths. In my eyes those deaths weren’t
terrible, they were all justified deaths. In fact, they were normal. All children would become
warriors, at fourteen you could already wield a sword. I, at that age, had already wielded one. So
when I killed them, I was just preventing the rebellions of the future.”
“What do you think now?”
“What should I think in your opinion? Should I’ve found another way to conquer Gaul?
Shouldn’t I have conquered it? Why not? Rome had already destroyed Carthage and Corinth too,
and in addition we were on a war footing with the Parthians. Why not do it? If I hadn’t conquered
Gaul the Germans would have done so, the Gauls would’ve suffered the same. They weren’t meant
to be independent.”
Caesar’s cynicism was inhumane. She didn’t speak with hatred, but with a cold and rational
detachment. She was like a mathematician who talked about equations or a grammarian who talked
about syntax. From her eyes there was no compassion for those people she had killed, it was clear
that for her they were just numbers.
“Don’t you realize how repugnant your campaign in Gaul was?” he asked worriedly.
“You speak with the conscience of this era, if you had been my contemporary you would never
have used that adjective. In my day, everything was repugnant. History is important, Master, but
remember there are many atrocities that history has kept quiet about. In my day, slaughtering people
was the norm. The Gauls did it to other Gauls. The Britons did it to other Britons. The Germans did
it to other Germans and to the Gauls. The tribes I destroyed were as bloody as my city.”
“But how can you not have a sense of guilt?”
“What is the use of feeling guilty? Guilt doesn’t make the dead disappear. There’s no point in
feeling guilty about something we have chosen to do. I decided to wage that war and I took
responsibility for what happened. My actions may seem repugnant to you, but if you’re honest
enough to condemn me for my choices then I advise you to be careful.”
“Why?”
“It doesn't take a genius to guess that in this world, as in my day, there are nations that commit
atrocities and disguise them with propaganda. I used propaganda too, but at least I’ve never been so
liar as to hide the atrocities I’ve committed. The world you live in scares me a bit, it's like a mother
who cuddles you by hiding a knife behind her back.”
“You’re a little pessimistic...”
“Am I? Things never change, Master, they just dress up differently. A tip: don’t waste time
criticizing me, I died two thousand years ago. Learn from me to know those like this man.” She
showed the book.

174
 CHAPTER 24

It was night. In a closed parking lot, Tetsuya Murakawa was comfortable leaning against a
railing to smoke his cigarette; next to him there was a man tied and gagged.
“I knew you worked for them, I knew immediately. I know those of T6, you’re all the same. I
bet your goal was to kill me.”
The other replied with incomprehensible verses and waving his head.
“Don't worry, I don't need to hear your opinion.”
Tetsuya spat out his cigarette and started beating the man. He smashed his nose, his teeth, and
when he got tired of using his fists, he continued with his kicks. He was like a blood-starved wild
beast. Each blow was struck with more violence than the one before. Tetsuya’s victim couldn’t
defend himself in any way and was in the hands of this savage executioner.
Tetsuya took a short break and then started again.
Lancer appeared.
“Stop it, Master. What you’re doing doesn't make sense—”
“Fuck you! This makes a lot of sense. I’m dealing with a piece of shit that wanted to kill me.”
“Master... he no longer reacts. He has lost consciousness. If you want to kill him, just do it.”

175
 “Shouldn’t you be a fucking slave? Act like one and let me do my job—”
Lancer threw her spear against the wall, missing Tetsuya by a few centimeters, she did it on
purpose. The man remained motionless, staring at that weapon implanted in the concrete, then
turned furiously:
“Are you provoking me, Lancer?”
“I'm not a slave, remember that. I’m a Heroic Spirit.”
“Do you think I give a damn? For all I know, you might as well be the tooth fairy, I don't give a
fuck. If you do that again, I’ll stick this fucking spear up your ass.”
“Touch me and that spear will become your third leg. Stop acting like a beast and let’s go.”
“A beast, huh? Well... what do you think this man is? Now he seems innocent, but he’s like me.
He killed many people for a lot of money during his... um... ‘career’ in T6. Sometimes they were
clumsy journalists, sometimes they were nagging wives and other times they were treacherous
husbands. But he also killed children, did you know? His hands are as blood stained as mine.”
“This doesn’t justify you. Good people don't behave this way...”
“Yeah... but the problem is that ‘good people’ don’t exist. We’re all animals, but we pretend to
be... um... civilized and compassionate. We’re assholes who enjoy the suffering of others. I’m
honest—”
“You’re not honest... you’re a savage.”
Lancer disappeared leaving Tetsuya alone with that defenseless body. Tetsuya took out a
switchblade and finished the job.

January 31, 2021 - Day 5

Alessandro Serpi was discharged from the hospital and was able to return to his hotel room,
where he also invited Friedrich to discuss the latest news.
“So his name is Dorian Benard? I've already heard that name...” Alessandro said.
“I'm not surprised... he’s the most famous French magus.”
“Where is he, now?”
“He’s actively collaborating with the Mage’s Association. They’re looking for a way to deal with
Sheol.”
“So what do we do? Do we wait for the world to fall?”
“Don't you think you’re being a little over the top?” Friedrich asked puzzled.
“I spent a whole day in the hospital with the fear of being fiercely buggered by a demonic
creature capable of destroying our world. I guess I'm not that over the top—”
“You’ve been in the hospital for so long because that sissy body of yours is so fragile that if I
spit on you we’d have to call an ambulance.”
“Oh, fuck you! Try it yourself to take an arrow in the shoulder and then come and tell me!”
Alessandro exclaimed.
“For your information I can resist anything! I remind you that my Germanic descent makes me
exceptional virile!”
“Kiss my ass! We Italians are ten, perhaps a hundred times more virile than any German!”
“Oh, yes? Then prove it!”
“What the fuck am I supposed to do?”
“Let's do a non-mortal duel until the end of the day! The one who gives up wins! I warn you that
I did aikido.”
“But I can't fight with my bare hands!”
“I thought you in the Coven used martial arts to fight—”
“No, I'm just a black belt of prayer. I never raised my hands—”
“Because you have that sissy body. If you raise your hands, your arms break.”
“What kind of friend laughs at his friend’s weaknesses?”

176
 “It's all right, bruder!” he exclaimed embracing Alessandro. “I can live with the fact that you
have a sissy body that even leaves can bend and break.”
“You’re a dickhead, but you’re my dickhead. Te vojo bene!”
The atmosphere subsided. The two sat down in front of the dining table.
“I needed it...” Alessandro said.
“Me too...”
“This is the first time I feel this way. I feel like... choked. Do we have no chance of winning?”
“I don’t—I mean, what do you expect me to tell you? Dorian never lies, not to me, and if he’s
worried we must be too. I want to be honest, though: I don't know what to do.”
“We cannot destroy the Grail, we cannot break its connection with our world and we are not sure
if we can kill Sheol. Fuck...”
“Well, if we are to prevent the end of the world, it will be better to give our best and do
everything in our power. Our Servants are—”
“Maybe I should’ve read it,” Alessandro murmured with an expression full of regret.
“What?”
“Sorry, I was just... um... I was thinking of a letter. A letter my mother sent me about two months
ago. I’ve always refused to read it and I believe it’s still there, under my bed.”
“What do you think it says?” Friedrich asked.
“I’ve no idea. I really have no idea. What can the person who abandoned me ever tell? Maybe
it’s an apology letter? But it’s late for that. Too late. Maybe it’s a letter that serves only to hook up a
conversation in a desperate attempt to rebuild the mother-son relationship? No, I don’t think so. But
what could she have ever written? Maybe she wants to console me for my dad’s death? I’ve no
idea... but I should’ve read it.”
“You will read it, I promise you,” he said with a smile.
“You’re kind, Friedrich, but you’re not good at lying. We both know we won’t make it. The odds
are all against us—”
“You’re right, but we can’t give up. We have a war to fight, Alessandro. We’re not fighting for
ourselves, but for the world. Let’s not give up now, let’s get up and move on.”
“May I know where you find that courage? I would pay gold to be like you.”
“There are still too many things that aren’t clear to me, especially about my life. I lived with a
doubt that I’ve always carried inside, it will seem stupid to you. I believe I’m not real. I should
never have been born and—I know it sounds extremely pessimistic, and I've never been that kind of
person, but I’m sure I’ve been an intruder in Clovis’ life. I need to know the truth. I need to know if
that doubt is based on something real. Only Yukiko can give me the answers I'm looking for...”
“So it’s not courage, it’s stupidity. I already told you that Yukiko is dangerous—”
“I don’t care! I have to know. I cannot live in fear.”
“It’s not fear that you should worry about, Friedrich.”
“How can you say it with so much certainty?”
“I was never afraid of being abandoned by my mother... and yet it happened. It struck me like a
lightning in a clear sky. My mother destroyed my life with a single choice. She pushed me away,
abandoned me in the Coven and broke the bridges with me. Fears are only fears, they’re in your
head and can be fought. But people... they’re another story. People can be worse than a fear,
because they beat it in malice and depravity.”

Hisae knew she was being followed. On that morning, in Regent's Park, the girl was sure she was
being followed by someone. She was hoping to relax and get some fresh air, yet after just ten
minutes out of the hotel room she was already in an unpleasant situation. The girl saw a group of
people and breathed a sigh of relief. No battles would break out with civilians around her. As she
turned, she found herself face to face with the pursuer: Yukiko Kumahira.
“Good morning, Miss Sunahara.”
“Who are you?” she asked nervously.

177
 “I’m the overseer, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I don’t know how skilled you are in wars, but it’s
not smart to walk around a park without the protection of your Servant. You might meet bad
people... like me.”
“We can’t fight here—”
“Technically yes, but I'm not going to kill you. Not now, at least. I want to enjoy these moments,
because they could be the last. So, little sheep, what are you doing out here? Are you taking a
break?”
“What does it matter to you and why do you want to talk to me? We have nothing to say to each
other.”
The girl was already about to leave.
“And what about my dear Hiro? Is he still a failure?”
Hisae stopped. The blood in her veins froze at just hearing those words and when she saw that
girl’s expression, the fear took over. Yukiko had the gaze of a demon, her eyes were that of a hellish
creature waiting for the moment to kill. Hisae didn’t know the girl, but she knew she was facing a
dangerous person.
“How... do you know... that name?”
“Well, let’s say I had the displeasure of seeing that trash you call brother in the face. I bet he’s
still a waste of oxygen, some people never change—”
“Don’t you dare!” Hisae aggressively approached Yukiko and, in a threatening tone, told her,
“You don’t have to dare to talk about my brother like that. I swear I’ll kill you.”
“You’re taking this a little too personal, girl. Don't you think you're a little irrational? Unless you
are in a romantic relationship with your brother—”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Hey, it's not me who legalized incest in Japan—”
“Shut your mouth, you're pissing me off!” Hisae raised her voice.
“I mean, I don’t want to judge the customs of other countries, but don’t you think it’s slightly
weird? And then, frankly, I can’t imagine a girl so desperate to spread her legs to that infection you
call brother.”
Hisae slapped Yukiko.
“Well, the kitten has claws...” Yukiko murmured with a pleased tone. “You’re certainly less
pathetic than your brother, but you’re as useless as he is.”
“I don't know what your intentions are, but I don’t want to play this game of yours. If you’re
thinking of hurting my brother, I will kill you.”
“There’s only one small problem, kitty: you’re already in my game. I don’t care if you’re here
for you or for that tumor that is your brother, just know that the next time you see me, I’ll rip your
heart out and make you swallow it. Have a nice day, kitty.”
Yukiko left leaving Hisae with heavy fear and a strong sense of oppression.

It was night. Alessandro and Friedrich had agreed to fight two duels in two different parks to
avoid letting people know they were collaborating. Alessandro chose to go to Hyde Park with
Saber.
He was waiting for a Master. Nishijima Kazuki arrived with Rider.
“So, are you the one who will face me in this glorious Holy Grail War?” Kazuki asked.
Alessandro sighed. “Are we really doing it? Wouldn’t it be better for you to withdraw?”
“Are you kidding me? Do you realize this is a Holy Grail War? I’m a magus and I’m here to get
the chance to make my every wish come true—”
“Excuse me, what?” An expression of incredulity painted on Alessandro’s face. “A magus? Do
you say you’re a magus? With just fifty-two Magic Circuits? Don’t fool me, this must be a
goddamn joke.”
“How dare you? My grandfather was a powerful magus recognized throughout—”
“I won’t kill you, but it won’t be a fun fight... not for you.”

178
 “Go to hell! Mizu!”
He fired a water bullet from his hand.
“Defendere,” Alessandro said snapping his fingers.
The invisible magic shield defended the boy from Kazuki’s attack. Alessandro was aware that he
was wasting time. His opponent was extremely weak, facing someone like him was like fighting a
child magus. He wasn’t going to hurt him, he just wanted to put him in a position to retire.
“Adstringor Sacris.”
A dazzling light hit Kazuki. The stunned Master had no idea what had happened and, thinking he
was injured, he touched his chest and arms, worried. Kazuki thought about casting a Magecraft, but
he couldn’t and then he panicked.
“What the fuck did you do to me?”
“Just a trick, you will no longer be a threat and your Servant is doomed. Do you give up?”
“No, fuck you!”
Kazuki seemed to have forgotten that the two Servants were fighting and so he fled. Alessandro
knew that this Master wouldn’t be a threat, but seeing him escape raised a strong doubt in him;
there was a possibility that he was hiding something, perhaps a weapon. Alessandro left Saber and
Rider alone and started chasing Kazuki, prevention was better than cure.
Before Kazuki was attacked by Alessandro’s Magecraft, Rider had a strong advantage over
Saber, but now things had changed. Rider could no longer rely on the Master’s mana pool, she was
practically like a crippled warrior. Saber, even if she wasn’t good at anticipating the opponent’s
blows, could put her in serious difficulty and forced her to stay on the defensive.
“Well, Rider, apparently Fortuna is not on your side,” Saber said with a smirk.
“Don't underestimate me, even without my mana reserves I can still kill you.”
Rider had to play cunning, she couldn't allow herself the luxury of using a Noble Phantasm. The
samurai attacked Saber head-on, targeting her throat; Saber parried the blow awkwardly and tried to
fight back. Rider dodged the blade and, using the katana sheath, hit Saber’s leg. When Rider saw
the opponent fall to her knees, she set herself in position for a decisive blow. Saber rolled, stood up,
and moved the blade. The two swords collided with force.
Rider pushed forward and, with a movement of her arms, tried to disarm the opponent. Saber
was physically stronger than Rider and held the sword firmly, it was impossible to disarm her.
Rider tried to step on the enemy’s foot, Saber moved her leg quickly. Saber tried to spin the blade to
put the opponent in an awkward position, Rider mimicked her movement. The two steels slid on top
of each other and the swords distanced themselves.
“Not bad, Rider, you do well considering your situation.”
“Unlike you, I’ve some battlefield experience.”
“Ah! You have no idea how wrong you are. I believe there’s only one person in this world who
has fought as many battles as I have.”
“I’m surprised then. You claim to be a warlord, but so far you’ve seemed like a peasant capable
of using the sword.”
“Then you should reconsider your skills, because until now you’ve not been able to injure this
armed peasant.”
Rider, moved by nervousness, jumped forward and tried to hit the opponent; Saber dodged the
blow easily and counterattacked quickly. Rider parried the attack and decided to end the battle with
her trump card.
Rider raised the katana. The weapon lit up.
Laws of the Commander of the Cloister
“Kuge Shohatto !”
From the katana came out astral chains that entered the houses, hotels and palaces through the
walls. A little later a hundred people came out, civilians with chains attached to their chests. Saber
was shocked by that Noble Phantasm. There were men, women and children. Those people were not
conscious and were under Rider’s control. Saber quickly realized how serious the situation had
become, not because there were civilians involved but because Alessandro didn’t want innocent

179
people to be killed. Saber might not have had too many problems in her day, but now things had
changed and a heavy moral dilemma was digging her head.
The girl attempted to attack Rider in hopes of stopping that Noble Phantasm, but those people
acted as shields and prevented her from approaching. Saber then remembered that Rider didn’t have
enough mana reserves to keep that Noble Phantasm, so the best way to handle the situation was to
run.
“So is this who you are, Saber? Weren’t you a great warlord? Are you running away from the
power of Ieyasu Tokugawa?”
Saber stopped. Rationally it made no sense, but her blood boiled at the sight of that challenge.
She could’ve run away, but she didn’t want to. There was her pride, her dignitas at stake. She
wasn’t going to let the opponent win, not without a fight.
The girl had already found herself at a similar crossroads. It was before the Rubicon when she
had to choose whether to march on Rome or renounce her legions. She, rationally, should’ve
abandoned the legions and avoided unnecessary bloodshed, but she didn’t.
Saber was again in front of the Rubicon. She had the same choice before her. The girl had only a
moment of hesitation which disappeared as soon as she reflected on her relationship with
Alessandro Serpi. The two weren’t friends, they were just colleagues. He didn't want to have
anything to do with her and therefore she didn’t need to make him happy. She could do what she
wanted. She was free to choose.
In front of civilians, Julius Caesar could only do one thing.
Saber turned.
The sword gave off a golden light.
Sword of Certain Victory
“Crocea Mors ...”

180
 CHAPTER 25

Born in Okazaki Castle on January 31, 1543, with the name of Matsudaira Takechiyo. Daughter
of Matsudaira Hirotada and his step-sister, Odai no Kata. Takechiyo was born into a clan that was
constantly divided due to infighting. The Matsudaira clan wasn’t particularly powerful and was
constantly threatened by the Oda clan. The war with Oda Nobuhide caused several rifts in her clan
and the young Takechiyo also witnessed the divorce of her parents. Oda Nobuhide’s attacks on
Okazaki forced Hirotada to turn to a much more powerful and wealthy clan: the Imagawa clan.

1548

Takechiyo was only five when she accidentally heard her father make arrangements with
Imagawa Yoshimoto’s representative.
“I can't let that bastard take my castle, do you understand?” Hirotada was agitated. “I need a way
to repel Oda’s forces, only Yoshimoto can help me.”
“I understand your fears, but this alliance will require a pledge. We want to be sure of your
sincerity.”

181
 “What do you want?”
“Your daughter. Matsudaira Takechiyo is of interest to my lord. If you give us her, we’ll help
you.”
“I...”
“I understand your hesitation, but don’t forget that we live in difficult times and trust isn’t so
easy to give. If there are any problems for you—”
“No,” he said. “No, take her. You can take my daughter, but remember I want your help. I want
to defeat Nobuhide.”
“Of course. You have my word: our two clans will help each other to defeat Nobuhide. You
made a wise choice, my friend.”
Takechiyo’s heart stopped. Her father had practically thrown her out of the house. The whole
plan was to deliver Matsudaira Takechiyo to Imagawa Yoshimoto as a hostage. The little girl was
practically sold for the sake of a war campaign. She was forced to say goodbye to her home, family
and her carefree life. The plan would’ve been successful if Oda Nobuhide hadn’t discovered it. The
man managed to capture Takechiyo and make her prisoner. He threatened to kill her if Hirotada
didn’t renounce the alliance with the Imagawa clan.
Hirotada refused, but Nobuhide didn’t kill the child. A year later, Takechiyo’s father died
murdered by traitors.

1558

Matsudaira Takechiyo changed her name to Matsudaira Motoyasu and began serving the
Imagawa clan. This warrior woman, who hardly anyone knew, fought her first battle against Suzuki
Shigeteru and besieged Terabe Castle. Her courage and talent for strategy earned her the respect of
the soldiers.
“Everyone’s talking about you, Lord Motoyasu,” said Lady Tsukiyama, a beautiful young girl in
love with the samurai. “You should be proud of yourself.”
“I don't like being called ‘lord’, I'm not a man,” she commented as she was cleaning the blade of
the sword.
“You’re a warrior, the sex doesn't matter. You’re a warrior fighting to forge a destiny in this
war-scorched land. With your sword and your ambition, you will be able to change this world.”
“Do you really think that? You must be a little crazy. People like me are meant to serve someone
stronger, I can’t be anyone important. It’s not in my destiny.”
“Look into my eyes.” Lady Tsukiyama stroked the warrior’s face and kissed her softly. “You are
an important person, you don’t know it yet, but you’re really important. Not just for me, but for this
land. I can see it in your eyes, you may not understand it, but I see it in your eyes. You have the
look of a king. Trust me, my love, great things await you.”
“I don't think so, but for now I'll do what I do best: fight.”
It was 1559 when it became known that the Oda clan had passed into the hands of Oda
Nobunaga. Very little was known about this person and Imagawa Yoshimoto had no intention of
passing the opportunity to defeat the Oda clan, after all there was no simpler opponent than an
inexperienced one.
One year later, Motoyasu was tasked with attacking the fortress of Marune, which was in the
hands of the Oda clan. Motoyasu intended to end the siege quickly, especially since she was curious
to see Oda Nobunaga with her own eyes. With the use of firearms she managed to win in no time.
Motoyasu marched to aid Imagawa Yoshimoto’s forces in the Battle of Okehazama. When
Motoyasu arrived on that battlefield washed by the waters of a terrible storm, she saw the troops of
Imagawa Yoshimoto at the feet of what looked like a little girl. Motoyasu was on horseback and got
out of the saddle, ready to face the little creature with her back to her.
“Give up!” Motoyasu exclaimed.
The little girl laughed.

182
 “Where’s Imagawa Yoshimoto? What did—”
The little girl turned and showed those eyes the same color as the blood. She was a demon, not a
person. Motoyasu had never seen anything like it before. That little girl had the look of an inhuman
creature and she had that victorious, proud grin. The blade she held was still stained with blood. At
the foot of that brat was the lifeless body of Yoshimoto.
“You must be Matsudaira Motoyasu,” she said with a smirk. “I've heard about you, they say
you’re very good at fighting. You killed Sakuma Morishige, I bet he didn’t pose a real threat to you.
You and I are alike, Motoyasu, we both have an innate talent for war.”
“We’re not the same.” She raised her sword and prepared to fight.
“Really? Fine...”
Nobunaga walked towards her with a slow step accompanied by a demonic grin. Motoyasu had
the impression of being in front of a real devil, she couldn’t look into her eyes. Nobunaga, noticing
her opponent’s hesitation, asked:
“What's the matter, Motoyasu, can’t you keep your head up in front of your enemy?”
Motoyasu’s hands trembled. The sword fell to the ground and she surrendered without even
fighting.

1565

Matsudaira Motoyasu changed her name to Tokugawa Ieyasu and, in order to increase her fame,
claimed to be descended from the Minamoto clan, although in fact there was no evidence to confirm
this. Certainly this lie of Ieyasu couldn’t cover up the fact that she was in the service of Oda
Nobunaga; she could say she was special, but in fact she was no different from the other powerful
warriors who had been subdued by the Demon King.
Tokugawa Ieyasu tried to use what little freedom she had to fight battles that would make her an
even more respected figure by the soldiers, but it wasn’t an easy thing.
Five years later, in 1570, the girl was forced to help Oda Nobunaga fight Azai Nagamasa’s
forces in the Battle of Anegawa. The battle was a success and Ieyasu, after the conflict, withdrew to
the camp; there she met Hashiba Hideyoshi, one of Oda Nobunaga’s generals.
“You did your job well, Ieyasu.”
“What did you call me? Didn’t they teach you respect?”
“For... who? You? Ahah! Come on, Ieyasu, we both know you don’t care about respect. After
all, you have no respect for Lord Nobunaga, do you?” he said with a smirk.
“Hold your tongue, plebeian, or I'll cut it off,” she exclaimed abruptly.
“Lord Nobunaga has made me one of her most trusted generals, you cannot treat me as if I were
a common peasant. Indeed, if we really have to talk about respect, you’d better start showing me
that respect.”
“The only thing you will get from me is pity.”
“You can pretend to be tough as much as you like, Ieyasu, but we both know you’re not really
loyal to Lord Nobunaga. You’re like the other worms that have been caught around... you just want
to use Lord Nobunaga to become powerful. You’re not loyal, Ieyasu. I have no intention of turning
Lord Nobunaga against you, but I warn you: don’t use too much that freedom that has been granted
to you.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“I’m just trying to be your friend, because you don’t want to be my enemy. Know your place.”
“So is that why you’re here?” she asked annoyed.
“Do you remember Takeda Shingen? You had become friends, if I remember correctly...”
“Get to the point—”
“There are rumors that he might betray us. We’re not sure yet, but we think it’s right to prepare
for a battle against the Takeda clan. I really hope you won't use this opportunity to take sides
against Lord Nobunaga.”

183
 “Why? Why should I do that?”
“Because, and this is very important, we know who you are. When Imagawa Yoshimoto died,
you had no qualms about betraying the entire clan and planning, five years later, the conquest of the
Imagawa lands. That's why you teamed up with Takeda Shingen, right? Without any hesitation,
without any second thoughts, you turned your back on the Imagawa and decided to destroy them.
That’s who you are. So, Ieyasu, why on earth should I respect a person who doesn’t know loyalty? I
know you’re waiting for the right moment to betray Lord Nobunaga—”
“This is defamation! I’ll have you executed!” she exclaimed in anger.
“With what authority? With that of your fictional clan? I know the story, you know? I learned
about that beautiful lie you told about your lineage. So... now you’re descended from the Minamoto
clan? And what will you tell me tomorrow? That you’re the next emperor?”
“Shut up!” she screamed.
“Yes, maybe I better leave. See you, Your Highness,” he greeted sarcastically.
In 1571, as expected, the Takeda clan betrayed the Tokugawa clan and campaigns against
Shingen began.

1582

The Honnō-ji Incident. Oda Nobunaga died after being betrayed by one of her generals: Akechi
Mitsuhide. When the news of Nobunaga’s death reached Ieyasu’s ears, she knew it was time to take
power. But there was no better way to legitimize one’s power than by capturing the traitor.
Unfortunately Toyotomi Hideyoshi, formerly known as Hashiba Hideyoshi, killed Akechi
Mitsuhide first and became Oda Nobunaga’s successor.

1598

Toyotomi Hideyoshi died. The death of this man opened another wound in feudal Japan that
caused more conflicts for power. Ieyasu, who had been forced to accept Hideyoshi’s rule, was
finally able to reclaim the power she deserved. There was only one man who stood between her and
her dream: Ishida Mitsunari, one of Hideyoshi’s faithful.

1600

“It’s not just a matter of winning or losing, we’re talking about something that is rightfully
mine,” she told her men in the camp. “Our enemy, Ishida Mitsunari, is just an idiot who wishes to
defend a dead man’s dream. A coalition of Toyotomi loyalist clans... a coalition of fools! That’s
who we have to face! We’re not facing smart people, but idiots blinded by nostalgia. I don’t want
to hear about the Toyotomi clan anymore, that man did what he did and died. Now it’s our turn to
rule. Now it’s up to us... to me. We cannot let the future of this land be dictated by men who have
no idea how to move forward. They’re children who have lost their father and who are afraid of the
future and progress. But I welcome the future! I welcome the new and leave the old in the past.
Oda Nobunaga is gone. Toyotomi Hideyoshi is gone. There’s only me. That fool of Ishida
Mitsunari fails to understand that I alone can bring peace... we must teach him today. We’ll teach
him to respect our cause and my destiny.”
The Battle of Sekigahara. The largest battle in feudal Japan. The battle that forever marked the
history of a country and its noble warriors. Those who had remained true to Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s
dream sided with Ishida Mitsunari to face Tokugawa Ieyasu.
The battle ended with Tokugawa Ieyasu’s victory.
Ishida Mitsunari was captured and executed and, as predicted by Ieyasu, the fame of the
Toyotomi clan dwindled frighteningly and the various loyalists disappeared. Ieyasu didn’t miss the
opportunity to severely punish those who remained loyal to the Toyotomi cause. For her it was

184
more a personal matter than a political one. She hated that clan, she hated those who spoke well of
it and those who considered Hideyoshi a hero of the country. It wasn’t acceptable to her.
Tokugawa Ieyasu brought peace, but used her power to eliminate dissent. Whether they were
brutal methods or not, it didn’t matter too much. She represented the will of the people. She was the
one who had brought peace and who was giving everyone a chance to live happily. Gratitude had to
be shown, she had to be respected, and she had to be treated as the greatest hero in the history of
Japan.
The Tokugawa shogunate began in 1603.
It ended in 1868.

“So that's it...” Rider muttered faintly.

The Servant was standing, badly injured, the mana wasn’t enough to heal her. Saber’s Noble
Phantasm had been powerful enough to completely destroy the slaves Rider had summoned; of
them not even the bodies remained. Rider was both sad and shocked.
The regret came from knowing that she had lost, but the shock came from seeing that terrible
sword in action.
Rider’s body was slowly disappearing.
“I see... I’m... dying...”
Saber sheathed her sword and said, “You fought well, Rider, but you couldn’t defeat me. I’m
sorry a warrior like you has to die, but that’s the way it was meant to be.”
“Are you... talking about destiny?”
“No. Destiny has nothing to do with it. It’s a fact: there are battles you can win and battles you
can’t win. You can’t win a battle against me. I’ve fought forty-four battles in my entire life and
have only lost twice. The odds were against you.”
“You’re a fool, Caesar... I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out yet. The odds don’t matter...
luck doesn’t matter... what matters is the will to win. Without the will to win, one has already lost.”
“Are you saying you didn’t have the will to win?” Saber asked incredulously.
“I’ve done... everything I wanted to do in my life. My dream has already been realized a long
time ago. Fighting this war... made no sense to me. I was summoned as a weapon... but I never had
a desire for the Grail. Losing or winning was all about warrior pride for me, but there was no...
desire behind my battle.”
“Well, Tokugawa Ieyasu, I hope I can face you again someday so you can test your theory. But
until then, I’ve won and that’s the only truth. Nothing else matters.”
Rider disappeared.
Shortly after Alessandro arrived, he was dragging the body of Nishijima Kazuki with him.
“Is he...?”
“He just fainted, I used a Magecraft. Nothing serious, but we have to call an ambulance so they
can take him away,” Alessandro said. “Couldn’t you help me out? You know it’s pretty tiring to
carry a body with you.”
Saber helped the boy put Kazuki under a tree. Alessandro looked around and, noting that the
damage wasn’t extensive, asked:
“Were there any problems with the Rider?”
“No, all fine.” She smiled.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Thank goodness we managed to avoid civilian casualties.” Alessandro breathed a sigh of relief.
Saber said nothing. The less he knew the better. She was aware that sooner or later he would find
out about those hundred dead people, but she also knew that he would accuse someone else.

185
 In Holland Park, Friedrich and Specter met Hisae and Archer, they seemed to be waiting for
someone else. When the girl saw Friedrich, she ordered Archer to attack. Specter blocked the arrow
in mid-air, grabbing it before it could hit her Master’s head.
“Did you really think you could win so easily?” Specter asked with a demonic smile.
“ You must be Specter, I’m Archer as you may have noticed from my beautiful bow. So you’re
here to fight, right?”
“I hope you don’t mind, Archer. Today I would like to have... some fun with you.”
Hisae used a Command Seal to strengthen Archer. The two Servants met, therefore, in a duel to
the death.
Archer kept his distance and fired several arrows that Specter parried using her blades. The girl
moved so fast that she reached her opponent in an istant and hit him with a series of attacks. Archer
was about to be beheaded, but managed to dodge the fatal blow and counterattacked by shooting an
arrow stained with his blood; the impact of the arrow generated an incredible explosion.
Specter had managed to survive. She was injured, but she recovered quickly. Archer fired two
arrows, targeting the opponent’s head. Specter moved with tremendous speed and jumped to
Archer. He dodged the blades and fired another explosive arrow.
Specter appeared behind Archer and attempted to stab him in the back, but the man jumped
forward and landed about twenty meters from the enemy.
Archer was close to Friedrich and Specter was close to Hisae. They both thought of using the
opponent’s Masters as hostages.
“You have interesting moves, Archer.”
“You’re doing well too, Specter. I thought you were an amateur but it seems I was wrong...”
“Never judge a book by its cover. How about playing fair? Leave my Master and I’ll leave
yours.”
“Ladies first,” he said with a wink.
“What a gentleman,” she commented with a grin.
Specter removed the blade from Hisae’s neck and walked away from her. Archer released
Friedrich. Specter, however, kicked Hisae on the back and sent the girl flying at Archer; the two fell
to the ground.
“Woopsy, my mistake...” Specter said with a sadistic smile.
Hisae got back on her feet and Archer commented, disgusted:
“You lack of honor, Specter!”
“Never trust a demon.”
The two were ready to resume the battle, but at that moment Berserker intervened. The arrival of
this third Heroic Spirit bewildered both Masters.
Specter was the first to be hit by Berserker’s heavy punch. Archer fired some arrows, but the
opponent’s armor was too thick. Berserker, with superhuman speed, approached Archer and hit him
with a punch that sent him flying against a tree; the trunk of the plant split open. Specter tried to hit
Berserker from behind, but it was useless; the demon girl was knocked out a second time.
Friedrich was shocked. That Servant was clearly above average and if she could beat a demon
that meant she had to be a truly powerful Heroic Spirit.
Specter got angry and told her Master to get away, Friedrich executed and advised Hisae to
follow him; she did, albeit reluctantly.
Two huge wings spread on Specter’s back. The girl rose into the sky. The wings became metal
and the individual feathers turned into blades.
The Dog with Griffin Wings
“Caacrinolaas !”
The blades were fired like bullets. Berserker couldn’t avoid a single shot, but her armor was so
strong it didn’t break. At the end of the attack, Specter was shocked, but she quickly realized what
opponent she was facing. With a smile she spoke Berserker’s real name:
“Arthur Pendragon, King of Britain. Not bad, I never expected a rival like you...”
Berserker was about to return to the attack, but a voice stopped her:

186
 “Okay, that’s enough.” It was Yukiko. “I guess that’s enough for now.”
“Yukiko!” Friedrich came out and ran towards the girl, as if not to let her escape. This was his
chance to learn the truth. “You owe me an explanation, remember?”
“Mm? I see that Hisae is here with us too. I’m not happy to see her, but it’s still a pleasure to
have so many people around me.”
“I’ve been waiting for you, we have an unfinished business,” Hisae said.
“I have a lot of things on my agenda, can’t we postpone?”
“Stop joking...” Friedrich said in a low voice. “You know I’m not here for this nonsense, you
owe me some explanations—”
“I think I can give you a few minutes of my time, but don’t think about how to formulate your
question... I already know it. I’d like to ask you a question: do you know the eternal recurrence?”
“Yes. I got to do some research... you speak of Nietzsche's Ewige Wiederkunft. It’s a
philosophical conception that dates back to ancient times, it’s the idea that time is cyclical. The
universe is reborn and dies according to fixed and necessary time cycles, eternally repeating a
certain course and always remaining itself—”
“You’ve done some quick research, but there’s a problem: what you’re talking about,
unfortunately, is not what Nietzsche had guessed. You tell me about an Egyptian or even a Greek
doctrine, but the truth is a little more complex than that.”
“What is the truth?”
“The eternal return doesn’t express the idea of events that repeat themselves indefinitely, in fact
it’s not linked to the physicality of things but to the passage of time itself. Time is cyclical, but
things don’t repeat themselves in the same way. There’s always something different, there’s always
something that changes. The thing we’re sure of is that universes will continue to be born and die
forever. Only in this way could Nietzsche make the eternal return coincide with the will to power.
But you cannot imagine the will to power as something that can defeat these forces of the universe.
What distinguishes a man from a Übermensch is the fact that the latter accepts the forces of the
universe and doesn’t try to manipulate or rationalize them. Humans, slaves of morality, have always
tried to grasp the unsurpassable just to feel free... but the Übermensch doesn’t have this need.”
“I don't understand what you're talking about, though.”
“A long time ago, there were two druids, a man and a woman, called Harald and Revna. During
the Age of Gods, as you know, deities lived with humans and it was normal for humans to talk to
them. Odin, one day, met the two druids and entrusted them with the task of protecting a sacred
relic that contained his blood: the Black Grail. They protected the Grail from enemies, curious
people and greedy rulers, but they couldn’t protect it from themselves and their foolishness. The
god of deception, Loki, knew their weaknesses and managed to convince them to pour the blood
contained in the Grail on the ground. In doing so, the two druids attracted a monster: Nidhogg.”
“Why...?”
“The beast had smelled Odin’s blood and, being an evil creature, tried to eat the god. The two
druids were quick enough to prepare a ritual to seal the beast in the relic, however there was only
one problem: how to do such a thing? A vehicle had to be used to bring the beast into the Grail.
They used themselves. So, when they did the ritual, their soul was... um... altered by Nidhogg and
this created the crest of the Serpi house.”
“Serpi? Like... Alessandro Serpi?”
“Yes, him. The two druids married and became the founders of the Serpi family. However, there
was a problem: the Grail. The ritual they did produced a real temporal anomaly. When Nidhogg was
sealed in that Grail, he effectively became an ouroboros. The miraculous power of the Black Grail,
derived from the fact that it contained the blood of a god, forced Nidhogg to become a machine for
the destruction and creation of universes. And this is how the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil was born.
Each time it’s used, Nidhogg goes out and destroys the universe... to create a new one.”
“But... if as you said, the universes are never the same, how is it possible that the Holy Grail of
Yggdrasil continues to exist in every universe?”

187
 “Well, we’re still talking about a miraculous object and also a... paradoxical one. The Holy
Grail is always immune to this change, hence the Serpi family too. However, they’re not the only
ones who are immune to it. Even those like me cannot be affected by this change... but these things
are too complicated for you...”
“So you really have destroyed the world?” he asked frightened.
“Well... this is the eighth time I have to repeat this war, you have no idea how tiring it is.”
“You’ve destroyed the world seven times...?”
“Not bad, right?”
“You’re a—”
“But, I have to be honest: this is the first time I’ve seen you. You’re new, maybe I’ll also see
you in the next universe... or you’re just an exception and then you’ll never happen again. We’ll
see.”
“Wait,” Hisae intervened. “So... when you were talking about Hiro—”
“Oh yes! I killed that one. A bullet here, in the head.” She pointed to her forehead. “I admit it
was cathartic to kill that waste of oxygen. I’ll have to settle for you in this universe—”
“THAT'S ENOUGH! You’re crazy!” Hisae shouted, furious: “You’re a bitch! A dead bitch!”
“Hey, Berserker, if you've stopped fucking around I’d say it’s time to let the curtain down.”
Berserker arrived with her sword drawn, raised in the sky; the broken blade lit up. Friedrich was
amazed at the immense light, a divine light. Specter, from behind, took the Master in her arms and
carried him away. Archer took Hisae and did the same thing. Berserker exclaimed:
Deicide
“No More Avalon !”
The slash of light struck the ground, cut it as if it were butter, and devastated a large portion of
the park. That power was incredible. It was clear that Yukiko had a very dangerous Servant beside
her.

188
 CHAPTER 26

February 1, 2021 - Day 6

Friedrich informed Alessandro of the whole situation. The two, sitting on the sofa, didn’t know
what to do. Yukiko’s story was really scary and Alessandro had the feeling of being enchanted to a
kind of destiny from which he couldn’t free himself. His family, therefore even his own life,
everything about him was meant to be in a certain way and perhaps he himself had no control over
his life. Maybe he too was destined for something and couldn’t change anything. The boy
remembered Yukiko’s words about freedom and it annoyed him, like a defeat, to have to agree with
her.
But compared to Friedrich, Alessandro was fine. Friedrich was as gloomy as a cloudy day and
after telling what he had learned, he hadn’t added a word more.
“Are you okay?” Alessandro asked.
“No...” he answered in a low voice. “What Yukiko said made me think about Clovis, my life and
all that I am. I’m just an exception, I’ve never existed before and I’ve never been Clovis’ brother.

189
Maybe... if I had never been born he would never have died. I mean, my whole life is just one damn
exception. If this world were to end, I might not be born. I only have this life and it’s not even
real.”
“What do you mean? Of course it’s—”
“No, it’s not real. My life is just a stain. A coincidence. An exception. My life was unnecessary.
My whole life was unnecessary and perhaps it was the cause of the end of the end of my brother’s
life! How can I go on knowing I’m just an exception?” The boy cried. “My whole life has started
from nothing and will end in nothing. I’m alone.”
Alessandro embraced Friedrich. “No, you’re not alone, there’s me and there’s also Specter. Your
life is precious, Friedrich. Is it only one? Well... then I guess that’s one more reason to fight, right?
You have only one life, one bullet in the gun, don’t waste it and fight to survive. But don’t say this
is not real, because it’s real and the help you gave me as a friend is real! Only thanks to you I’m
here and thanks to you we will defeat Yukiko!”
“Do you really believe it?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Thank’s my friend. I promise you that I won’t waste this life of mine and that I’ll fight to
protect it... but you don’t have to accept that bullshit Yukiko talks about. You can change your life
and your destiny. You’re in control and if you have the will, you can be able to change things.”
“So what do we do? You and I have an end of the world to prevent and we can’t let that crazy
woman destroy the world a million times over—”
“Clock Tower.”
“You, mean...? No, I don’t think they will help us.”
“Dorian will. He’ll help us. Let’s go to the Clock Tower and ask for his help, we must find out
how to stop Yukiko from using that damn Grail.”
“I’m with you.”

Alessandro and Friedrich informed the two Servants of their intentions and left both girls in the
hotel room. Specter was lying on the bed, leafing through magazines, while Saber was near her,
reading Napoleon’s biography.
“So...” Specter interjected with a grin: “Let's talk about Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus
Germanicus. I know you know her. You saw her, didn’t you? The gods showed you everything.”
“Do you want to hurt yourself, demon?” Saber snorted, nervous.
“I’m just curious—”
“Why? There’s nothing to know. It’s a personal thing, it’s about me and my family. You have
nothing to do with it, demon.”
“Are you afraid that I might corner you like last time?”
“To clarify: if I don’t talk about Nero, will you bother me indefinitely?”
“Maybe...”
Saber heaved a heavy sigh. “I don’t hate Nero. It's just that...”
“What didn't you like about her?”
“Her lack of love for what I had created... her lack of respect for what I respected and her lack of
foresight. She wasn’t worthy of being emperor of Rome.”
“I don’t know, she’s always done pretty well to me.”
“You only say this because you don’t know what it means to rule a country.” She paused. “She
never loved the legions and she never respected the legionaries who gave their lives for her. She
only valued luxury, banquets and vainglory. She divided the Empire... she treated the provinces
very badly and she was fixed with idiocies such as poetry, music and entertainment when an entire
country depended on her.”
“But you also loved poetry—”

190
 “But I never let my passions take over. She was in charge, she was supposed to lead the people.
But do you know what she did? She transformed the throne into her stage, she became a clown with
a sword. Just like Clodius...”
“Clodius?” Specter asked intrigued.
“In my day there was a man named Publius Clodius Pulcher. He was a ‘friend’ of mine... he was
young and arrogant and... really dumb. Once, he entered in my manor and disguised himself as a
woman and pretended to be me, just to spy on my wife Pompeia. He was a pig.”
“Was he really that bad?” she asked, smiling.
“He had sex with his sister Clodia and he was corrupt. Cicero called him faex or scum. I was so
idiotic that I trusted him one time. He said he was on my side, he said he was a friend of the
people... he proposed four laws, the Leges Clodiae, which were to favor the people. In reality they
had the sole purpose of disadvantaging his enemies... like Cicero. He wanted to be the center of
attention at all costs and for this reason I distanced myself from him.”
“Nero was like him?”
“Yes. Identical to him. Many promises, but in the end only dust and shame.”

Soon after, Saber decided to go wash. The girl, in her Master’s room, was getting ready and in
the meantime thought about the lie she had told. She had no pronounced guilt, but she was slightly
sorry she had deceived her colleague. She never would’ve done that if he had been a friend of hers.
The problem was that she didn’t know her Master and he didn’t open up to her. Saber had been used
to being the center of attention, she was used to being loved for her beauty and talent and having a
lot of friends. Alessandro was an anomaly. He didn’t want her in any sense: neither as a friend nor
as a lover. It wouldn’t have been a problem for a normal person, but Saber was no ordinary person.
The girl, with no respect for the boy’s privacy, began rummaging through his luggage looking
for information about him. She by chance found a diary and began to read it quickly. She knew she
was doing a wrong thing, but she didn’t care. She needed to know her Master and she would do
anything to fulfill this purpose.
Jumping right and left between those pages, information came out about his father, mother and
his unhappiness in the Coven. In the last few pages he spoke of Friedrich:

I've never had a friend before him, this is the first time I feel so good. I know I shouldn't be
thinking certain things because of the ongoing war, but I can't help but be happy to have found
a friend. Whatever happens, I will never regret shaking his hand.

Then here came a page about her. Saber's heart started beating.

I thought she was a cynical and unfeeling person, but I'm relieved to know that Saber is still
human. During her battle against Rider, she didn't involve civilized people and that makes me
happy... it means that I can trust her and that she can change. I know, I often tell myself that I
am selfish... but I want her to value life and I want her to lose her cynicism. I don't want to force
her to disown her past, I just want her to look at what she did differently. These are small things,
but I believe they’re necessary. I can't be friends with a bloodthirsty tyrant.

Saber was struck by a strong sense of guilt. She suddenly regretted lying and following her
instincts during the battle against Rider.
Saber heard Specter enter and immediately hid the diary. The demon girl, completely naked,
approached Saber with a grin and, in an extremely annoying manner, began to touch her.
“So, Caesar, today I’ve a certain desire...”
“Let me guess: you think I’m a goddamn hooker?”

191
 “Well, let’s not lie to each other, we both know you’re pretty profligate. You’re not a saint,
you’re more like a slut.”
“Do you know what? No.” Saber pushed Specter. “Don’t touch me with those disgusting hands
of yours, demon. You’re insulting me with your ways. I’ve lived my life making my choices, I
don’t want the judgments of a creature like you.”
Specter left without even being offended, for her it was like a game, but for Saber it was about
defending her dignity. After reading those pages of the diary, the girl wondered what she could do
to redeem herself.
She didn’t want to be a better person for Alessandro, but for herself. If he believed in her, then
she too had to believe in herself.

Hisae Sunahara was worried about the progress of the war. Hisae wasn’t stupid, she knew she
was dealing with very powerful Masters and therefore she knew that winning would be very
difficult.
“My life sucks,” she murmured, looking in the mirror.
She was in the bedroom and was fixing her hair and couldn’t resist making that comment. When
she saw that girl, she saw only one older sister who was unable to protect her little brother and to
oppose a power-obsessed despotic father; she saw a girl who had done her utmost to save her
brother from her father’s harassment and who, despite her best efforts, was failing miserably; she
saw a defeated girl.
“All of this is unfair, Archer.”
The Servant appeared behind her, he asked, “Are you referring to the war?”
“Yes... but not only. I’m also referring to my life... I failed as an older sister.”
“Why do you say this? You’re fighting this war for him, aren’t you?”
“Every time I’ve done something for Hiro, I’ve failed.”
“Can I know why you put so much energy into protecting him?”
“Because he’s weak and alone he cannot do it.” She turned to Archer. “I don't want to follow my
father’s example. He believes the weak should be forgotten, but I believe they should be protected.
I protect Hiro because it’s my duty to protect him. What’s the point of being strong if you don't
make yourself useful in some way?”
“Your philosophy is noble, but you can’t always protect others. Sooner or later you have to let
them grow.”
“There are people who will never stop being weak, Archer. It’s not that easy to be strong. Only a
selfish person expects a weak person to have to fend for themselves one day. If you protect
someone, you don’t do it with the hope that this person will become strong... otherwise you’re not
one who really wants to protect others, you’re just an egoist who likes to pretend to be the hero.
Protecting people is a matter of love and love asks for nothing in return.”
“I never thought about that, Master.” He was genuinely surprised by Hisae’s goodness. “So you
think you can’t protect your brother?”
“That’s what I said.” Her eyes were tinged with sadness. “No matter how hard I try, there’s
always someone who can hurt him. It almost seems like the whole world hates him. Isn’t all this
sad? I wish I had more strength to be able to protect him from anyone—”
“The biggest threat so far is Berserker’s Master.”
“I know...”
“But it won’t be easy to defeat such an opponent, but we can count on the indirect collaboration
of other Servants. Fortunately, we’re not the only ones participating in this war.”
“Whether there are others or not, it doesn’t matter to me. I have to kill Yukiko. Even if defeat is
a certainty, I can’t let that bitch keep breathing...” Hisae’s words overflowed with insecurity.
Archer didn't know how to console his Master, but he understood her feelings and wanted to help
her win the war; for Archer it was a matter of cavalry.

192
 The man was on the verge of concealing his physical form when, without warning, he heard a
female voice mention his name.
“Master, did you call me?”
“No...” she answered leaving the room. “We have to go.”
“Yes,I’m—”
“Archer...”
Archer heard that voice in his head, it was like an echo but he didn’t know how to explain it.
“Who’s there?”
“Archer, save me...”
“Who’s talking? Who are you?” he was scared.
The voice stopped.
Hisae returned to her room and asked Archer:
“Is everything alright?”
“Wha—yes! Yes! I’m fine, there’s nothing... to worry about...”
“So, shall we go?”
“Um... yes.”
Archer followed Hisae. The man’s head was besieged with questions. The Servants couldn’t
have that kind of hallucinations, not without there being a magical cause. Something was happening
and he wasn’t understanding what.

Alessandro and Friedrich left the Clock Tower after being sent away by the magi, apparently
Dorian Benard wasn’t in there. The two decided to go home, but on the way back Friedrich noticed
that someone was following them. They seemed normal men: dressed in a casual way and with a
calm attitude. Yet Friedrich had the feeling of being stalked, every time he turned he saw them
behind him. It was then that Friedrich sensed magical energy. There was no doubt: those three men
weren’t human.
Alessandro noticed the presence of two suspicious, very young nuns who were following them
across the street. Alessandro immediately felt the magical energy.
“Merda,” he muttered in a low voice. “The Coven knows...”
“There are three men who work for the Rote Mäntel behind us,” Friedrich said, keeping his voice
low.
“What do we do?”
“Let's go to the station... I hope you have no problem doing something stupid and illegal.”
“Better than dead. How long does it take to the station?”
“We’re almost there... follow me.”
The two reached a crowded subway station and entered in the ocean of people. They didn't want
to alarm their pursuers and risk a clash in a place full of civilians. They moved with caution, always
staying close. Friedrich took Alessandro away from the people, they reached a door whose access
was allowed only to local workers.
“Can you break it down?” Friedrich asked.
Alessandro snapped his fingers and said, “Adversarium Ferio.”
The door was broken down, but the din alarmed the pursuers. Friedrich entered immediately
exclaiming:
“Next time make less noise!”
“It’s not my fault! Where are we going?”
“In a place I know, trust me.”
Friedrich opened another door, went down a small concrete flight of stairs, turned left and
reached the tracks, Alessandro hesitated to go on:
“What are you doing? Why did you stop?” Friedrich asked.
“I don't think... it’s a good idea. What happens if a train passes?”
“There’s no train now. Come with me or they’ll kill you!”

193
 Alessandro followed Friedrich on the tracks, they reached another door that served in case of
emergency. It was stuck. Alessandro was ready to use his Magecraft, but at that moment a magic
bullet passed near him, slightly missing his head.
The agents of the Rote Mäntel had arrived. The two nuns arrived immediately after. Friedrich
then asked to his friend:
“Run or fight?”
“The Coven will not give up. We have to defeat them now.”
“I’ll be honest, I’ve never faced a nun—”
“They aren’t nuns. They belong to the Ordo Sicarii.”
“What?”
“The Order of the Assassin. It’s a subsection of the Coven specializing in the hunt for heretics.”
“Okay, first of all we have to—”
The three men of the Rote Mäntel were pierced by knives made of black smoke. The two women
were slaughtered shortly after. Alessandro and Friedrich were shocked, but they understood that it
was the work of a Servant.
From the darkness, Assassin emerged.
“I can finally kill the two Masters of Specter and Saber. It will be easy.”
“Fick dich...” Friedrich turned to Alessandro, “We have to leave—”
A smoke knife struck Friedrich’s side.
“Friedrich!”
Alessandro immediately used the Command Seal to call Saber. Assassin, without wasting time,
tried to attack the two boys. Alessandro used a Magecraft to defend himself and his friend:
“Defendere!”
Saber arrived just in time. The girl attempted to strike Assassin, but the blade passed through the
opponent’s body without causing any damage. Assassin threw three knives and Saber parried them
without difficulty. The girl, smiling proudly, said:
“Ne pulsato portam alterius, nisi velis pulsetur et tua.”13

Saber struck the first blow. Assassin wasn’t harmed in any way, that Servant was like a ghost
and objects passed through him. The girl, realizing the disadvantage that there was in facing such an
opponent, decided to change tactics and wait for a attack from him. He didn’t wait.
Assassin threw several knives made of black smoke and the girl deflected them with her sword.
Saber went off to attack, but her blows failed to hurt that enemy. He summoned several knives of
smoke, these were floating and were fired like bullets; Saber was wounded in her legs, and as soon
as Assassin was close enough to attack her a second time, she rolled to the ground with full weight
and prepared to use the Noble Phantasm.
“No! Don’t use it here!” Alessandro shouted.
Saber, though a little annoyed, accepted the Master’s order and returned to battle.
Specter arrived.
When the Servant saw Friedrich’s condition, she worried; she didn’t do anything in particular,
but you could tell from her look that she was upset. The girl immediately helped Saber.
Friedrich, meanwhile, was helped by Alessandro and the two went to safety.
“I can heal you, it’s not too bad for a wound.”
“Heilender Wolf...” Friedrich said.
A wolf with golden fur appeared, the animal began to lick the wound.
“It won’t be able to heal it completely, this Magecraft is only for superficial wounds. After this,
we have to medicate it well,” Friedrich explained.
“Okay.”

13
Don’t knock on someone else’s door if you don’t want them to knock on yours. It would be like saying: if you don’t
want problems, don’t cause problems.

194
 Alessandro turned and saw that battle involving the three Servants.
Saber and Specter were trying to hit Assassin, but he was more likely to dodge than before.
Saber noticed this immediately and decided to be more aggressive with her blows, but she didn’t
realize that Assassin had dragged her into the path of an oncoming train. Saber jumped and noticed
that Assassin had moved too, which made no sense for someone like him.
“Unless...”
The girl thought there must be a weakness in Assassin’s skill and, as the train passed, she
informed Specter. The two worked out a plan quickly and when the time came they put it into
action.
Assassin, as expected, remained on the defensive and kept his distance by throwing several
knives. Saber played his game and chased after him while Specter stayed behind. Assassin was
keeping an eye on both Servants, he had sensed that there was going to be a trap, but he didn’t know
what they had in mind.
Specter moved onto the rails and then, when a train passed, the girl dodged it and she was hidden
by it. Assassin lost sight of the girl because of the train. So he was forced to focus only on Saber,
but feared that Specter would attack him from behind. He became convinced that this would be the
obvious move for her. As the train passed, Assassin braced himself for an attack from behind.
Specter attacked from above along with Saber.
The two wounded Assassin.
“How?!” he asked in pain.
“I have these, you idiot,” Specter said showing the blades with which she had clung to the
ceiling.
They had deceived him and the worst thing was that he had fallen for it, but he had no intention
of dying and so he disappeared leaving the victory to the two Servants.

Night had just fallen. Specter was in the living room on the sofa. Saber came and sat down next
to her. Specter wasn’t the same as always, she was gloomy and more silent. She looked like she was
sick.
“How’s your Master?” Saber asked.
“He has recovered... but he needs to sleep. You’ve been kind to offer us this refuge, I'm afraid
that Assassin knows where we live...”
“Don’t worry, besides my Master won't mind sleeping on the sofa—”
“Where is he?”
“He's washing himself.” She pointed to the bathroom door.
“You know... what you said to me today made me think. You were right to be mad at me and I’m
sorry if I disrespected you.”
Saber opened her eyes in amazement. She never expected an apology from a creature like
Specter. The demon girl looked so fragile in that moment, like she was about to cry.
“I know I’m not like you, I’m a demon. Creatures like me are often feared or killed, I don’t think
it’s that easy to trust beings like me. I know I’m mean sometimes and... I’m sorry, but I was brought
up that way. I’m a demonic dog. Yeah... that’s what I am: a dog. The mount of Nebiros.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Saber asked confused.
“Because when I saw my Master injured, I felt... sick. I don’t know how to define this emotion,
but I know I’ve never felt this way for a mortal. Maybe I’ve gotten used to his company, maybe I’m
spending too much time with him and I’m enjoying it.”
“What's your desire, Specter?”
She didn’t answer right away. It was clear that she didn’t want to say it, but the situation was so
complicated and stressful that she no longer had any reason to hide it.
“I want to become a king. If I could make this wish come true... I would no longer be Nebiros’
dog... I could finally be free. This is how it works among us demons. You can’t be free if you don’t

195
have such a title. Anyone who isn’t a king is destined to serve one. Many demons love to serve, I
don’t. I want to be myself and be free from Nebiros.”
“Well, you don't need a Grail for that. I believe you can do it alone—”
“Ahah! Good joke!” Specter exclaimed, getting up from the sofa. “Only a miracle can free me
from captivity. I can’t do it alone, I’m not that powerful. I’m just a dog and nothing more, I’m not
destined to be a king—”
“You’re not a dog,” Saber said. “You’re much more than a dog. If you keep doing this, you will
never be able to make your wish come true. You have to believe in yourself and in your abilities,
otherwise you won’t be able to go anywhere! Who will believe in you if you first don’t believe in
yourself? If your purpose is to become king, devote your energies to that dream and become king.”
“I can’t do this, Saber—”
“Yes, you can. Everyone can do it. Only those who aren’t ambitious are not destined for
greatness! But if you wish to ascend, if you wish to be free, follow this ambition and dedicate your
energies to its fulfillment!”
“I can’t—”
“You can!” Saber exclaimed.
“I can’t!” Specter screamed. “I don't know what you think of me, but I’m not that good. I
haven’t even been able to protect... my Master...” She cried. “I should’ve protected him, I should’ve
prevented this from happening... and instead I let my guard down! I’ve been a stupid dog...”
“You’re not a dog... you’re human. You made a mistake, we all make mistakes, no need to be
ashamed. Cry your tears, but don’t be sad... because you’re crying for him, and that’s a good thing.
It means that you care about his well-being.”
Specter fell into tears and Saber embraced her, stroked her head and consoled her.

196
 CHAPTER 27

Inside an abandoned building, ten magi of the Rote Mäntel had surrounded Yukiko; one of them
came up to the girl and said:
“You were wrong to attack us, Fräulein, now you will die.”
“I think I’ve no problem killing a couple of people. Jag är Oövervinnlig.”
The magi began to attack in unison with their Magecrafts. Magical bullets were fired at that
single girl, but her body took no damage.
“Jag är Stark.”
Yukiko tore off the head of one of those men and kicked it; the man’s decapitated head struck a
magus in the face, this magus was pierced in the chest by the girl’s hand. The remaining eight magi
didn’t stop firing magic bullets, they didn’t realize the gravity of the situation.
Yukiko grabbed the arm of one and tore it violently, she used that arm like a club to deflect some
magic bullets and then, when it burned, she decided to throw it at the victim she had snatched it
from; the man, weeping on the ground, was grabbed by the head and thrown against two magi.
Those same two were both beheaded.
Only five remained.

197
 Of those five magi, one escaped and the other four tried to kill Yukiko. The girl, with lightning
speed, grabbed one of those men and broke his neck with ease. She passed on to another man and
tore his heart out with her bare hands. The two magi fled, but it was too late.
The poor magi who had fled before was a girl who had recently been recruited. She had no
intention of dying and she hid in a room, under a table. She heard the screams of two of her friends
and then silence fell.
Footsteps approached from afar and the girl, frightened as a lamb hunted by a wolf, put her hand
in front of her mouth so as not to let her breath be heard.
She heard Yukiko enter the room and the palpitations increased terribly. The girl couldn’t stay
calm and the sweat made her eyes sting.
“You’re a rookie, aren’t you?” Yukiko asked. “I know you are, it’s not hard to guess.”
The girl could see Yukiko’s shadow on the floor and saw that she was walking away. Part of her
began to hope for safety.
“There are certain clichés that are repeated in films, especially in situations like ours. The hero
hides and the villain comes up with things like ‘I can smell your fear’ or ‘I can smell your blood’.
And I can’t do either, so maybe I’ll never find you.”
The shadow receded.
“But this is where the fact that you’re an amateur comes into play.”
The shadow quickly approached.
The silence fell but the girl knew that Yukiko was very close, even if she had no idea where she
was. She heard a knock on the desk.
“Knock Knock. ‘Who is there?’,” Yukiko said in a high-pitched voice. “‘Magus.’‘Magus,
who?’” Yukiko lifted the table with frightening force revealing that girl. “‘Magus I-Can-Sense-
Your-Fucking-Mana.’”
The girl screamed in panic. Yukiko immediately decapitated her.
“Fucking amateurs...”

Archer was sifting London completely alone. It was a cold night and the Servant wanted to better
understand the territory in which he was fighting.
Suddenly, he was intercepted by knives made of black smoke that scratched his armor. Archer
landed on a roof and saw Assassin on another building.
“What are you doing here, Archer? Your Master should’ve put you on a leash, knight.”
“If she had, I would’ve missed your sermon, monk.”
“I see... you like to joke. Well, if you want to make me laugh, I suggest you stay still so I can kill
you.”
Assassin disappeared and reappeared behind Archer, he tried to stab him in the back; Archer
avoided the blow, summoned his bow and fired several arrows; the attack had no effect. Assassin
threw a series of knives, Archer used the bow to deflect them. The bow knight fired another arrow,
he was sure he had targeted the opponent’s head, but Assassin took no damage. The arrow hadn’t
even touched him.
“Son of a dog,” Archer said. “You’re really interesting, Assassin, but I won’t be defeated by
you.”
Assassin threw more knives, Archer dodged them and then jumped away.
“Running away from me won’t make you win, Archer.”
“It could be a start!”
Assassin pursued Archer. The two Servants began to fight by jumping from roof to roof. The
arrows collided with the knives, the two Heroic Spirits were fast and also extremely agile. For every
arrow Archer fired, Assassin threw a knife.
None of the Londoners were realizing that over their heads there was a battle going on between
two Servants.
“Not one who gives up easily, huh?” Archer said.

198
 “You’re mine!”
Assassin’s statement was immediately followed by a barrage of daggers. Archer made a huge
leap and nocked five arrows; he shot them all at the same time. The daggers and arrows collided
and neither Servant was injured.
Assassin would’ve been able to continue the battle had he not been called back by his Master.
The Servant, as he appeared, disappeared into the darkness leaving Archer speechless.
The man, disappointed by the short battle, decided to return to his Master, but at that moment he
heard a voice.
“Archer...”
The man sensed a strange energy in a dark alley of the city, it had to be the person who was
communicating with him. The man was scared, he had no idea who or what he would meet, but he
wanted to find out who was calling him.
“Archer... save me...”
“Who are you...?”
Archer, agitated, made his way into the darkness and eventually found himself in front of that
transparent blue skeleton, wrapped in a curtain of white smoke. The skeleton was sitting on the
ground with its arms around its knees and its head lowered. It didn’t smell at all, but the temperature
around it was freezing. The closer Archer was to that entity, the more he felt dizzy and tired.
“What’s this? Who... are you? What’s happening?” Archer was terrified, he was paralyzed in
front of that skeleton that slowly raised its skull.
“Help me... Archer... it hurts...” The ghostly voice came from there, but the skeleton didn’t move
its jaw when it spoke.
“Who are you?”
“I’m your princess... remember? Do you... remember me, Archer?”
“My... princess?”
“You forgot me? You promised you wouldn’t...”
“I’m... sorry... but I—”
“Sheol will take you... Sheol will take all of you... you will all be with me forever... forever... and forever...
Archer...”
The skeleton disappeared. Leaving Archer speechless. It was the first time he had felt like an
abandoned sheep, he had never had that feeling of fear and confusion. When he returned to his
Master, he didn’t report what he had seen in that alley. Part of him was convinced it was just a
Noble Phantasm from a Servant, but another was confused and unable to explain what had
happened.

February 2, 2021 - Day 7

A rainy morning. Alessandro returned to the hotel room after passing by the bookshop. The fact
that the Coven hadn’t abandoned him made him reflect on what had happened the day before. The
Ordo Sicarii would never have attacked without a specific order from the Grand Master, but if the
Grand Master knew of the alliance between Alessandro and Friedrich, why hadn’t he
excommunicated him?
Maybe those women were there for Friedrich. It made more sense as a theory, actually. This
meant it was fortunate that the two were dead, the Grand Master would never know.
Alessandro saw that Saber was reading another book, he recognized it from the cover: it was by
Theodor Mommsen and was about the history of Rome.
“Are you done with Napoleon’s biography?” he asked.
“I'm a pretty fast reader,” she replied with a smile.
“I see... um... I've something for you, consider it a gift of reconciliation.”
“What's that?” Saber asked seeing Alessandro take a book out of a plastic bag.

199
 “Your imprint.” He showed the book. “The ‘Commentarii de bello gallico’.”
The girl jumped to her feet and with the enthusiasm of a child took the book. With her eyes wide
open she asked:
“Where did you find it?”
“They sell it in bookstores—”
“Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres, quarum unam incolunt Belgae, aliam Aquitani, tertiam
qui ipsorum lingua Celtae, nostra Galli appellantur,” she read. “A perfect opening, right? That’s
my style—wait... what’s this stuff written nearby?”
“The translation for those who don’t know Latin.”
“But... Latin is easy! Come on, you can’t tell me it’s a difficult language! Greek is difficult!
Look... um...” She began leafing through the book. “Oh! Here, try translating this: Multa a Caesare
in eam sententiam dicta sunt quare negotio desistere non posset: neque suam neque populi
Romani—”
“The sentence is too long. Give me a simpler one,” he protested.
“Um... ok?” She flipped through the pages again: “Here: His rebus constitutis Caesar ad portum
Itium cum legionibus pervenit.” She closed the book. “Come on, tell me what I just said. Translate.”
“Yeah... uh-uh...” Alessandro scratched his head and meanwhile tried to remember the sentence
in its entirety. “I think it has to do with legions and... a port.”
“Wait, I heard you. You say magic formulas in Latin. How is it possible that you can’t translate
Latin?! Come on, what the hell! It’s not possible!”
“Well, it’s not like Latin is my second language. I know it, but I’m not a Latinist—”
“What the fuck is a ‘Latinist’?” she asked in shock.
“An expert in Latin—”
“WHAT?!” she exclaimed aloud. “For Latin?! An expert?! For LATIN?! Come on, what the
hell are you doing these days! How do you do if you want to learn Akkadian, like those mages who
went to the East only to learn ancient magic formulas that no one knew! For Juno’s ass! Akkadian
needs experts! Even the children of the poor learn Latin!”
“Two things: first, Akkadian is a dead language, and second, Latin is too.”
Saber gasped, startled by the terrible news. “What. The. Fuck.”
“I know I know—”
“What do you know? You don’t know Latin!”
“Well, I’m like Socrates: I know that I know nothing. In this specific case: I know that I don't
know Latin,” he said ironically.
“Are you really quoting the words of the ugliest man in Greece?!”
“Hey, he may have been the only ugly Greek, but at least he was smart...”
“For Jupiter’s balls... it’s a tragedy.”
At that moment, Alessandro remembered hearing the girl say things in Latin in one of his
dreams. There was a phrase that made her smile, he tried to remember it:
“Um... Gallias Caesar subegit... er... Nicomedes Caesarem...”
“Master...?” the girl raised her eyebrows in amazement.
“Then, its: ecce Caesar nunc triumphat... um... qui subegit Gallias... Nicomedes non triumphat
qui subegit Caesarem. Did I say it right?”
Saber didn’t say a word. Her eyes were bright, she was on the verge of tears. Not just because
she heard those words, but because they came out of the mouth of a person she had deceived. She
dropped the book and hugged Alessandro.
“Saber...? Are you okay?”
“Thank you, Master—no, Comrade.”
That word made the boy’s heart beat faster.
“Yes, I’m your Comrade.”
“I promise you won’t die.” Saber looked the boy straight in the eye. “I’ll fight for you to live
happily. I’ll lay down my life for you, Comrade.”

200
 Piccadilly Circus. Sergei Rybakov had stopped to admire the splendid luminous signs.
Enchanted like a cat, he watched the digital writings flow and meanwhile he was thinking about the
war.
His thoughts were obscure. He couldn’t stop thinking about the death around him and the death
he had seen in his dreams. He felt a heavy feeling of weakness on his body and couldn’t understand
where it came from. He felt ephemeral, he perceived his own existence as a patch on an infinite
canvas. He felt like he had been pierced through the heart multiple times. Whenever he looked
around, he was sure he was surrounded by people who were already dead.
That day, Sergei went to St James’ Church Paddington. Despite being an Orthodox Christian,
Sergei needed to turn to God... he needed to feel safe. He needed a reason to keep living, because he
couldn’t find any. He felt like he was in a dark wood, with no one to hear him or help him. He felt
like a lost rabbit a few steps from a wolf’s jaws.
Leaving the church, he met Tetsuya Murakawa, who was clearly waiting for him. Sergei
immediately sensed that he was a Master, but ignored him.
“I don't want to kill you, I just want to have a chat—”
“We’re enemies, it makes no sense to speak to me.”
“You should think again, because I generally don’t talk to my enemies. I’m offering you a
golden opportunity, you should be grateful and take it.”
“What do you want?” he asked brusquely.
Tetsuya lit a cigarette. “You’re religious then. It’s not common for a Master to be religious, you
know?”
“You don't believe in God?”
“I only believe in myself, but I’m not here to tell you the story of my life. I want to know one
thing: you’re the Master of Assassin, right?”
“Yes, so what?”
“I had the ‘privilege’ to witness the clash between your Servant and Archer, a really interesting
battle...”
“Get to the point,” Rybakov exclaimed hurriedly.
“I have a Lancer-class Servant, she can’t stealth kill enemies, but your Servant can. I’m here to
offer you a truce. We can team up, Russian.”
“You’re a very arrogant man. Do you think you can come here, before the house of the Lord, and
demand things from a servant of him? Your atheism wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t so
disrespectful.”
“Listen, dude: there are annoying Masters in this war, especially the Master of Specter. I don’t
like him and I want to get rid of him—”
“None of my business.”
“You may not realize the gravity of the situation, but I’m sure that asshole is collaborating with
another Master. I want your help, Russian, and you will help me—”
“How can I trust you?”
“Useless question.” He threw the cigarette at Rybakov’s feet. “We’re at war, sooner or later we
will kill each other. I’m not asking you to become my best friend, I just want to work with you to
eliminate some Masters. Then I’ll kill you.”
“I appreciate your sincerity...”
“So?”
“Gus' svin'ye ne tovarisch,”14 he said with a disgusted expression.
Sergei turned his back on Tetsuya and left.

January 7, 1995, Grozny

14
усь свинье не товарищ. It’s a Russian proverb which means: a goose is not a pig's friend. It’s a way of indicating
contempt for a person.

201
 Sergei Rybakov had been sent to Chechen to fight the war that had erupted the previous month.
Just three years earlier, he was a novice within the Order of the Blessed and was now in the
epicenter of a conflict that seemed endless. That night, in the belly of a building’s corpse, Rybakov
was looking for enemies along with Russian soldiers. He separated from the group only briefly and
stopped at the foot of a broken window. The man admired a beautiful full moon with the eyes of a
child.
At that moment, Igor Yerzov arrived and patted Sergei on the shoulder to catch his attention.
“Sergei, I’ve bad news: Vorobyov is dead. Orders have changed, tomorrow we’ll protect the
soldiers.”
Sergei personally knew Leonid Vorobyov, he was a young magus with a great talent and, above
all, with a sensitive heart devoted to music. He had talked to him the night before, Leonid had
revealed that he was going to propose to his girlfriend once he got home. Leonid had only one
mission: to hunt down an Islamic magus.
Sergei tried so hard to hold back the tears.
“And that magus? What do we do with him?” Sergei asked.
“We have to find him and kill him.”
“Do you know where he is hiding?”
“No. We’ll knock on the doors of every house, he’s probably back in his community. I bet they
hide him from us.”
Sergei bit his lip with nervousness. He knew what ‘knocking on every door’ meant, he had
already seen it with his own eyes and he didn’t like it. He didn’t want to have anything to do with
that war and didn’t want to harm innocent people, but the Order of the Blessed demanded the
utmost loyalty from him and he couldn’t rebel or even flee.
“Do we really have to do this, Igor?” he asked with a weak voice.
“They are our enemies, we have no other choice. This is a war, we can’t take it easy on them—”
“I ask you if it will be really necessary to harm innocent people, Igor.”
“There are no innocents in this war, Sergei. Khalid is still on the loose and I bet whatever you
want he has a lot of friends defending him. These friends may seem innocent, but they are wolves in
sheep’s clothing.”
“I don’t want to kill innocent people, Igor.”
“Neither do I, Sergei. I only kill accomplices and criminals.”

January 10, 1995

The Russian bombing of the Grozny Presidential Palace had begun. Sergei and Igor had to
protect the soldiers from possible attacks by the magi. It wasn’t easy to fight and keep the secret of
magic at the same time. You had to be a good magus to know when to attack and how to protect
humans without blowing the cover.
During a patrol, Igor was attacked by a magus and wounded in the right arm. The man’s screams
caught Sergei’s attention.
“Igor! Igor, are you okay?”
“It’s Khalid! It’s Khalid! Kill that asshole! Move!”
Sergei, though hesitant, started running after the magus. Khalid al-Nassar was one of the most
famous magi of the Great Temple of Kayseri, one of those who could kill three men completely by
himself. Sergei was afraid of the very idea of facing someone like him completely alone.
When he came face to face with Khalid, he realized he was expected. Sergei prepared for battle
and Khalid immediately raised his hand inviting him to listen to him. Sergei would never trust an
enemy, but he hated that war and Khalid’s old, kind eyes calmed him.
“There’s no reason to fight, we ask that our people not be attacked by the magi of the Order of
the Blessed.”

202
 “You killed Leonid, why should I trust you?”
“Because I gave him a quick death, preventing him from any pain. His body is here... preserved,
so you can bury him.”
“You attacked Igor—”
“I could’ve killed him. I wanted to talk to you, Sergei. My men observed you and we know that
you’re more inclined to dialogue than your friend. We want to end this war, I bet you want it too.
Why fight among us? Why not cooperate and bring peace? The Grand Temple of Kayseri wishes to
protect Islamic communities and the Order of the Blessed is concerned with Christian communities.
This war is useless and you know it too, we magi are supposed to help humans achieve peace.”
“I...”
“Please... listen to my words and convince the Order of the Blessed to change things. We cannot
let ourselves be drawn into these conflicts. We need to be above these things and find a way to
bring peace and open dialogue.”
“Your words are wise, but you know perfectly well that it’s not realistically feasible. I’m
nobody. Nobody will listen to me and surely none of my friends will listen to you. I want peace as
much as you do, but I can’t do it alone. The least I can do is prevent innocent people from being
killed...” Sergei said these words with deep sadness. “I'm sorry.”
“Your sincerity strikes me and I see a rare humanity in your eyes. If we weren’t enemies, I really
would’ve liked to have been your friend.”
“Thanks, I’m honored to know.”
Sergei left and Khalid let him go. There was no reason to fight.
Sergei fabricated a credible lie to tell Igor. As soon as he left the small neighborhood, he was
intercepted by his furious friend.
“I knew it! You did the bullshit! You let him get away, didn’t you?”
“Igor—”
“Move away, you idiot!” Igor hit Sergei. “I’ll do it myself.”
“No, stop!”
Igor threw a fireball that started a terrible fire. Sergei tried to save those people, but Igor threw
another fireball and unleashed an immense explosion. Sergei turned pale.
The fire was devouring everything and people came out screaming for help. He tried to help
them, but he couldn’t do anything. Whole families died in the flames and he was powerless. The
man was traumatized by that infernal image that appeared in his eyes. He fell to his knees
screaming in sadness.
Igor, disgusted, said:
“You’re a child, Sergei. Grow up. This is a war, those people had to die.”
Sergei didn’t answer him. Sadness choked his throat. He couldn’t get a single word out.

That nameless face accuses me in the night,

That house inhabited by flames calls me at every sight,
My nights in Chechen are red.
I sleep, I die, I breathe, I suffocate.

February 2, 2021 - Day 7

“The bathroom is free if you want to wash yourself,” Saber said as she entered the bedroom in
her bathrobe.
Alessandro was concentrated on reading some books he had bought at the bookshop. He was
lying on the bed, surrounded by papers and parchments, and his eyes were fixed on those pages;
you could tell from his gaze that he was extremely focused.
Saber had to move some stuff to be able to lie down next to him. With a curious eye she glanced
at what he was reading.

203
 “Sheol, huh?”
“Do you think I’m wasting my time with these poor quality books?”
“Why do you read them if you know they aren’t of quality?”
“Sometimes even in the garbage you can find something useful.” He closed the book and turned
to the girl. “I hate wasting my time, believe me, but I’m willing to sacrifice every bit of it to find out
more about Sheol.”
“You have to watch out for obsessions, they can be dangerous.”
“Do you say this from personal experience?”
“Cato has always been obsessed with righteousness and the values of Stoicism, which is why he
has become what he has become.”
“What?” he asked curiously.
“A puppet. A puppet of a corrupt and worthless Res publica. Do you know what the senators
called him? ‘The Incorruptible’.”
“Well that’s not a bad thing...”
“Do you really believe it? Don’t you think this says much more about the Senate than about Cato
himself?”
“Oh... I never thought about it, you’re right.”
“One like Cato, virtuous and stoic, became a victim of his love for the Res publica. He didn’t
understand that things had to change and that it was my turn to change them forever. He preferred
to despise me and disrespect me, but the Res publica Populi Romani was destined to fall. From its
ashes rose the empire.”
“Do you believe in fate, Caesar?”
“It depends on what you mean by ‘fate’. People give different definitions of that same word, you
know? For some it means absence of freedom, for others it’s a confirmation that we all have a
higher purpose. Personally, I believe that fate exists, but... it’s like a sea. The sea cannot be
controlled in any way and takes people wherever it wants, but if you’re a good navigator you can
decide where to go and use the sea to your advantage. And you, Comrade? Do you believe in fate?”
“I can’t tell you. I would like to feel free, that’s all I know. I’d like to live my life my way
regardless of what other people say. I would like to be happy in my own way without worrying
about the expectations of those around me. I would like... to travel. I would like to travel the world
without ever stopping.”
Alessandro had a twinkle in his eye as he said these things. It was as if he could see himself as he
left the Coven to go anywhere.
“A nomad,” Saber said smiling. “So you don’t want to have a family.”
“Well, not for now. I would like to travel and not have chains—”
“I advise against becoming a father, if you don’t want it so badly. Starting a family is a
responsibility, not a hobby. You can’t start a family and then do whatever you want. You have
duties as a parent, if you don’t want those duties then don’t become a parent.”
“You’re right, maybe I should be careful. But I don’t want to stop myself from having
relationships... but, as a Christian, perhaps I should curb lust—”
“Did they teach you so?”
He nodded.
“For me it’s stupid. Why limit the pleasure? You only have one life, you should live it to the
fullest. I, personally, have never wanted brats around me. I prefer to fuck and finish it there. No
weddings, no engagements and no nonsense about love and children.”
“Well, if we ever have to act directly on the dantian, I promise I won’t put a ring on your finger,”
Alessandro said jokingly and then left the bed.
“What you mean?” Saber asked intrigued.
“You really don’t know? You’re a Servant, you should... um... so the Grail doesn’t...”
“What?”
“Well, you know why we have mana, right?”

204
 “More or less...”
“Any creature that has a soul has mana. Even animals have mana. The amount of mana an
ordinary human possesses corresponds to a Magic Circuit. Magic Circuits are the ‘veins’ of the soul
and contain mana. A creature’s mana can grow through learning magical knowledge and also
through practices such as meditation. Mana is contained in the Magic Circuits found in the soul. So
the mana is in the soul. If the mana grows, the Magic Circuits needed to contain it must also
increase. So: the more mana you get, the more Magic Circuits you get. Okay?”
“Yes... I think...” she said narrowing her eyes.
“Have you ever wondered what would happen if a person ran out of mana?”
“Well, doesn’t it regenerate itself?”
“It’s not that easy. We’re not like plants, that is, we’re not directly connected to the World Soul
and therefore we don’t have an infinite supply of mana. If we were plants, we wouldn’t have to
worry about mana stores. Humans and animals have evolved in such a way that they can regenerate
their mana through particular activities because they possess dantians.”
“What are they?”
“A dantian is like a field where energy is stored and transformed. The energy you take in from
eating, studying, or having sex is transformed into mana. In fact we have three dantians: Upper
Dantian, located in the head, Middle Dantian, located in the chest, and Lower Dantian, located in
the genital area. Once the mana is lost, the magus must worry about restoring it.”
“What if a magus loses all mana?”
“Mana is the blood of the soul. A soul without mana can only disappear and... the person
becomes an Abyssal. The Abyssals aren’t like us, they’re more like living ghosts that are slowly
consumed by the Void. It’s not easy to explain these things...”
“It’s okay,” she said leaving the bed and approaching Alessandro. “You know a lot, Comrade,
and... I don’t know if you realized that you implicitly asked me to sleep with you.”
“Wha—?” He thought about it. “No... wait, I was just kidding. I didn't mean that—”
“I know I know. But I’m glad to know you’re not so rigid anymore. Little by little I’ll make you
soft as a stuffed animal.” She kissed him on the cheek. “You’re really cute, Comrade.”
He blushed not from that kiss, but from the fact that Saber had paid him those compliments. He
wasn’t used to receiving them.

Friedrich was sitting on the sofa, playing the guitar, Specter was there with him, listening to his
melodies that lasted a maximum of two minutes each. She was fascinated by his music. Friedrich
realized that his Servant was listening carefully to every single note, she was quieter than usual; she
was like enchanted.
With his hand he stopped the chords and asked, curious:
“Have you ever played a musical instrument?”
“ No,” she replied with a melancholy look. “Not all demons live surrounded by luxury. I’ve
never had the pleasure of playing anything.”
“I’m sorry, it must have been sad...”
“Demons aren’t always allowed to be sad. Many of us have to live by following only the orders
of our masters and never waste time worrying about our emotions.”
“You live in a perennial state of war, right?”
“Yes, we do. Kings face off against other kings for more servants and more riches. Kings rise
and kings fall... the demons keep fighting and they know nothing but war. With a life like mine, you
can’t have the luxury of playing musical instruments.”
“I see... well, it’s never too late to start.”
“Do you want to teach me?”
“Do you want to learn to play the guitar?”
“How does it feel to play an instrument? To make music?” Specter asked intrigued.

205
 “Well... music, for me, is like a language... a way to give voice to my interiority. There are
things that cannot be expressed in words, there are things that not even science can understand...
and these things are human feelings. Only music can give voice to emotions, because emotions
cannot be captured by words, but by sounds. You could say that music is my life.”
“Who taught you to play?”
“I’m a sort of self-taught. I learned on my own. With the experience and advice of some, of
course... but I followed my heart and found my music. I need to play, especially when there’s
silence. I hate silence, it’s like a cage that lets only bad thoughts pass. Music eliminates silence and
translates emotions, makes them come out.”
“So you play music only because you hate negative thoughts?”
“Yes and no. I hate negative thoughts, yes, but they have no control over my music.”
“So how do you compose your music?”
“I don’t have a rule. I forget the songs I compose... in fact, I don’t write any songs. I make
music. I follow an emotion of the moment and... I like it. Sometimes I modify some existing songs
other times I create completely original ones of my own. I follow my heart.”
“You are your music. You have no limits and no one can put you in a cage. For this you
travel?”
“No. I travel because... I love the world. I hate the idea of working in the same place and staying
in the same house. I want to be everywhere and meet many people and do many jobs and never
stop moving. The Rote Mäntel and all the magi organizations live in their own little world and care
for themselves. But the world is vast. There are no borders in the world and it’s rich in different
people and cultures and also in breathtaking landscapes. I want to see everything and die knowing
that I’ve not missed anything.”
“Well, Master—”
The phone rang. Friedrich replied. It was Dorian.

206
207
 CHAPTER 28

“I don't believe in God, but I believe in this shit,” Murakawa Tetsuya asserted while he was
smoking a cigarette.
He was sitting on an armchair that didn’t belong to him in an apartment where he didn't live; at
his feet was the corpse of a man. Lancer appeared, disgusted to have seen her Master commit yet
another murder.
“Was this man also a member of that organization that wants you dead?” she asked.
“If he wasn’t, I wouldn’t have killed him, don’t you think?” He said, smiling.
“What’s so funny?”
“I see that you don’t know what it means to have the evil eye. I’ve always been a unique, special
case in T6: I’ve always had better contracts because of my ability to kill. My colleagues have
always been envious of my popularity among the clients... and now here I am: victim of their evil
eye, of their envy. I no longer have a job, I no longer have allies to rely on and no place in the world
is safe for me.”
“That’s the evil eye?”
“Of course.”
“You’ve a strange way of looking at it, Master. It almost seems that you’ve been... cursed by a
witch.”
“What do you think this is? If it’s not a curse, it’s a fucking joke of some psychopathic God. I
had everything and now I have nothing.”
“Crocodile tears,” Lancer commented disgusted. “You're playing the part of the victim, I find it
pathetic considering what you’ve just done.”
“Do you think I want to be a victim? No... actually I like this situation, because it’s proof that
I’ve always been right,” Tetsuya said with a satisfied expression.
“What are you talking about?”
“Well, how do you think I committed my murders?” he asked, putting out his cigarette on the
ashtray.
“I don’t really care—”
“Wrong answer.” Tetsuya got up from the armchair and went to the table where there were
glasses and a virgin bottle of whiskey. Tetsuya served himself. “I’ve never liked firearms or cutting
weapons, I’ve always felt a particular pleasure in doing my job with my own hands.”
“Like an animal...”
“More like a vehicle.” He drank the whiskey all at once. “I was a vehicle for aggression. When
one wants another person to die, they don’t want that person to be killed in an instant... they want to
vent their aggression on the victims. A quick death is like a masturbation, but what I offered was
the equivalent of a coitus.”
“Disgusting—”
“Disgusting? No. This is the way of humanity. Humans hate each other, it’s a fact. I was a
‘destruction agent’, I destroyed the victims little by little and then I killed them.”
“You’re even worse than an animal, Murakawa Tetsuya, I can’t believe I’m forced to fight by
your side. For me it’s dishonorable.” Lancer’s judgment was sudden and full of repulsion.
“Then you can go fuck yourself, Lancer! Unless... you also have aggression to vent on someone,
for example on the Servants fighting in this war, I could help you—”
Lancer pointed her spear at Tetsuya’s throat and exclaimed angrily:
“Don’t you dare compare me to you, I’m a warrior with values!”
“Your enemies destroyed your homeland, didn’t they? What is your wish, Cleta? Do you have at
least one wish or are you here just... to vent your anger on your opponents?”
“Be quiet!”
“Or...?”
“I told you to shut up!” she screamed.

208
 “You’re no different from humans. Heroes are just ideals, humans are actually violent, very
violent... because they love to be. Heroes like King Arthur were nothing more than fairy tales told
to justify violence in the human heart.” He paused. “Aggressiveness, this is the true nature of
mankind. Everything else is just a lie. No matter how wonderful your legends are... they will only
be excuses to continue killing. You can point that spear at me as much as you like, but that will do
nothing but confirm my thesis. You’re not a Heroic Spirit... you’re just an angry bitch.”
He placed the glass on the spearhead, which was aimed at his throat; he turned commenting with
irony:
“You need an anti-stress ball.”

February 3, 2021 - Day 8

Alessandro and Friedrich went to the Clock Tower and there they met the magus Dorian Benard.
When he saw the two boys, he approached them promptly.
“Maybe we have a solution,” he said in a low voice. “I come from a meeting with some English
colleagues, perhaps we can resolve the Sheol issue.”
Friedrich and Alessandro had a moment of joy upon hearing those words.
“What do you want to do with Sheol, then?” Friedrich asked.
“Maybe it would be better to talk about it elsewhere, follow me.”
Dorian took the two boys to a large antique-looking library. Dorian sat down, the two boys did
the same. They were both eager to know the plan of the Clock Tower.
“You’re probably aware of this: four days ago one hundred civilians were involved in the Holy
Grail War of Yggdrasil.” Friedrich and Alessandro exchanged two worried glances, went back to
listening to Dorian. “Such a large number of civilian victims is worrying, especially considering
that the war has just started. The police and the army are still looking for the culprits, London is
scared, but we can end the war immediately.”
“How?” Friedrich asked perplexed.
“The Rote Mäntel have contacted us and have offered to help, they want to make a relic
available to us: the Cradle of Rosenkreutz.”
Friedrich was frightened at hearing that name, he got up from his chair and, shaking his head,
exclaimed:
“Holy shit, Dorian, you know perfectly well that that stuff is dangerous!”
Alessandro asked, “Calm down, what’s going on?”
“Only the Rote Mäntel know this relic, it’s a vase about fifty or sixty centimeters high, it’s green
and has golden engravings reminiscent of the branches of a rose, and its lid has the shape of a rose.
It’s a unique object... it’s impossibile to forget that relic.”
“I never heard of it... but I’ve heard the name Rosenkreutz before.”
“The relic was built by Christian Rosenkreutz, a German monk who visited Damascus, Egypt
and Morocco. During his travels he learned techniques that allowed him to give magical attributes
to some objects, making them... um... special. He, later, formed the Rosicrucian Order. Nobody
knows their monastery, but we know that there were four monks that used that Magecraft to create
an object capable of sucking the magical energy: the Cradle of Rosenkreutz. That relic, however,
was used only once and, from what we know, it killed at least seven dozen monks of the
Rosicrucian Order. That object is out of control.”
“God... but it’s—”
Dorian said, “The Rote Mäntel told us everything, they told us that the relic is under their
control. There will be no risks of any kind—”
“They believe it... but they’re ignorant. That relic is a tool of death, nothing else. Once you lift
the lid, the relic becomes like a black hole and sucks all the magical energy nearby. There’s no way
to contain that vortex.”
“But... can it be stopped?” Alessandro asked.

209
 “Of course. Just put the lid back on, but you have to be ready to die doing it. So it happened the
last time. The Rote Mäntel are crazy if they really hope they can use the Cradle of Rosenkreutz to
kill Sheol.”
“But will it kill her?”
“Yes, Alessandro... but she won’t be the only one to die. That relic will kill everyone around it
and start sucking in magical energy. It’s not worth it—”
“I'm sorry,” Dorian intercalated with a sad look. “But there has been a broad consensus. Even if you
were right I couldn’t do anything about it.”
“The Cradle can kill Sheol, believe me, but it will also kill thousands and thousands of magi.
This is the sacrifice that you’re accepting to make,” Friedrich said.
“What if we find a way to contain its power?” Dorian suggested.
“You can’t, end of the discussion.”
“So what are you going to do, huh?”
“We can... destroy the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil. Sheol is tied to that Grail, if we destroy it she
disappears. It’s much better than your plan!”
“Well, Friedrich, first you have to be in front of the Holy Grail and we don’t know where it is.
We don’t even know if it can be destroyed. You’re betting with blindfolded eyes, if you were wrong
it would be the end of the world. Do you realize it?”
“I can’t... accept your suicidal choice. Only a fool would do it.”
“We’re desperate, Friedrich, we must stop Sheol at any cost. Will two thousand, perhaps three
thousand or perhaps four thousand magi die? Yes. So what? It seems to me a necessary sacrifice to
preserve the human race!”
Friedrich slammed his fist against the table, got up and, without saying a word, left the library.
Alessandro followed his friend to the outside of the Clock Tower. Alessandro was able to think
about it a little and was somewhat in agreement with Dorian’s plan. Sure, it was risky, but betting
on the destruction of the Grail was a greater risk. He didn’t feel like letting Yukiko summon it.
Alessandro did not want to contradict Friedrich, at least not immediately, he wanted to persuade
him little by little.
Friedrich was outside looking at the sky with a slightly lost look. He turned to Alessandro and
asked him, with a slight sadness:
“He’s right, right?”
“Um...”
“It’s okay, you can tell me.”
“Well, it’s not a perfect plan, but we can’t let Yukiko summon the Holy Grail.”
“Did you know anything about those hundred dead?”
“No.”
“This is all absurd. We’ve done everything to prevent innocent people from dying, yet we’ve
failed—”
“It wasn’t us. Surely it was Yukiko. I remember it—I dreamed it... in short, she’s one who kills
and she doesn’t have too many problems committing atrocities. It’s not our fault, we couldn’t stop
her.”
“I know, but... I hate having to rely on them. I hate the Rote Mäntel with all my heart and I hate
that they have to help us. Those people aren’t heroes, they just want to be hailed as saviors. The
Cradle of Rosenkreutz is dangerous, Alessandro. Even if Dorian is right, that doesn’t mean that relic
is under control. We have to find a way to seal that relic and...”
“And...?”
“We have to steal it.”
“What?!” Alessandro was shocked.
“Let's not fool ourselves, we know who the Rote Mäntel are and we know they don’t care about
humans. It would be good for them to open the Cradle of Rosenkreutz even in the center of a

210
square. I don’t want to let them use that relic. We’ll take the Cradle and use it against Sheol. Are
you with me, Alessandro?”
“You already know the answer, Friedrich.”

Friedrich brought Alessandro Serpi at St Margaret’s Church which lined the Abingdon road. The
two entered the church and then Alessandro asked, curious:
“Why are we here?”
“The Rosicrucian Order is one of the most mysterious brotherhoods that have ever existed.
We’re talking about an order that was founded on the ideas of Christian mysticism and which also
opened up to some ideas considered non-Christian. Not long ago I was in London and passed this
church, more by accident than for a specific purpose. While visiting, I saw this.” He pointed to a
Rose Cross engraved on a column. “Difficult to see, but unmistakable: this is the symbol of the
Rosicrucian Order. I’ve read research by some scholars of the Sisterhood and I’ve come across a
very fascinating theory: apparently some English priests, frightened by the power of the Weapon of
the Rose, chose a place and blessed it with rituals learned from some texts of the Rosicrucian
Order. They did this with the intention of taking this weapon and sealing it.”
“And the Weapon of the Rose is...”
“The Cradle of Rosenkreutz. I’m sure this is the place. You can feel it too, can’t you? There’s
magical energy, this means that the place has something anomalous.”
“So your plan is to open the Cradle of Rosenkreutz in this place?”
“Yes.”
“And could it work, in your opinion?”
“Yes—I mean... I hope... you’ll agree with me that it’s better to open it here than in any place
chosen by the Rote Mäntel.”
“No doubt about it, but what do we do if we’re wrong?”
“Well, we’re going to die... but at least innocent people aren’t going to die—”
“Priests, nuns...”
“Well, I hope they’ll run away on their legs when they see Sheol.”
“It all sounds so improvised to me...” Alessandro said a little disappointed.
“Well, we have no other choice.”
“I know, but—”
Alessandro sensed the presence of a magus. He turned and saw this girl with red hair and a nun’s
robe. Friedrich, noticing his friend’s agitation, understood that they were in danger.
“This is truly a pity,” she murmured. “Alessandro Serpi, you’re collaborating with an enemy.
The Grand Master is disappointed in you.”
“You were keeping an eye on me, then.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t notice.”
“Well, I thought you got word of Sheol’s arrival. This war no longer makes sense, the Grail is
corrupt—”
“It’s a matter of trust: you’ve betrayed the Grand Master’s trust and must die.”
“Excuse me,” Friedrich intervened kindly. “I don't think it’s smart to fight each other in a
situation like this. Even the Rote Mäntel have decided to collaborate with the Mage’s Association,
you could turn a blind eye and let it go. What do you think, miss... um...”
“Elisa. Elisa Mancini. The Ordo Sicarii isn’t concerned with politics, but with traitors.
Alessandro Serpi is a traitor and therefore...” Elisa snapped her fingers. “Aeterna Ferri Robora.”
The girl conjured a sword whose blade was in the shape of a cross.
“Adversarium Ferio!” Alessandro said snapping his fingers.
Elisa was pushed out of the church.
A cunning move on the part of the boy and Elisa was forced to take note. It was daylight and
there were people walking around, fighting would put the secret at risk. The sword disappeared, but
the girl didn’t retreat.

211
 “There’s no reason to fight, withdraw and let’s close the matter,” Alessandro said.
“This is where you’re wrong, Alessandro. You probably think I was sent by the Ordo Sicarii to
eliminate you, but technically that was ‘option B’. Given the situation, I’ll have to follow the
standard procedure.”
“Wait—”
“The Grand Master Giovanni Monteverdi X has officially excommunicated you, Alessandro.”
Alessandro lost his breath.
“You’re no longer a member of the Coven. Out of respect for the formality, I officially declare
the Interdictio aquae et ignis for you. You’ll never be able to return to the Coven, you won’t be able
to ask forgiveness for your sins and you’ll no longer be able to rely on our resources. The symbols
you wear are empty. You’re an enemy of the Coven.”
Alessandro couldn’t stand up.
“Get ready, Alessando, because we will come and take what is ours.”
The girl left. Alessandro was paralyzed by those words. His thoughts had been drowned out by
the new reality that was crushing the boy.
Alessandro fainted.

Alessandro woke up in the bedroom.

It was afternoon, the room was a bright orange color and the boy got up to put the curtains in
place, he turned and saw Saber enter. When she realized that Alessandro was well, she went to him
and hugged him tightly. She stroked his head and continued to hold him in her arms.
“You made me worry, Comrade.”
“I...”
Then he realized that he had been thrown out of the Coven. Should he have rejoiced? He
understood that there was nothing exciting in that new and terrifying situation he was in. He hated
being in the Coven, yes, but it was the only thing he had in the world. He had nothing else. Without
the Coven he would’ve been a beggar, a boy destined to live on the streets.
The mere thought of living such a life made his arms and legs tremble and made him sweat; his
body couldn’t even stand upright. His eyes were burning, he rubbed them and tried to stop the tears.
He tried to behave like a man and to quell emotions... but the tears managed to break the banks and
Alessandro collapsed.
He cried.
His life was over.
The Coven was taking away everything he had: his life and even his Servant.
He couldn’t. He couldn’t stop crying. He was sobbing and muttering senseless things.
Saber walked over to him and sat him down.
“It will all be fine, Comrade.”
“I’m afraid, Saber... I’m...”
“I know it. I understand. Cry, Comrade, don’t be ashamed of your emotions. I’ll be by your side
until the end.”
Saber, seeing that tragic sight didn’t know what to do. She was only a Servant, she didn’t belong
to his world, she couldn’t help him in any way and this choked her heart, which suffocated in a grip
of pain.
“I’ll be by your side, Master. Until the end.”
She was about to cry, but she held back. She had to be strong for him, she had to be his pillar.
She was Gaius Julius Caesar and she couldn’t afford to be weak, not when her comrade in arms was
in that state. She was to be his light and every emotion in her was to be held back.

Meanwhile, Specter and Friedrich were in the living room. Friedrich was worried about his
friend and was aware that their alliance had been the fuse that had sparked all this.
“Are you okay, Master? You seem thoughtful.”

212
 Friedrich looked at Specter, the boy’s eyes were lit by a combative flame. She immediately
understood the intentions of her Master and said:
“You're going to do something big, aren’t you?”
“The Cradle of Rosenkreutz will be brought to London, I’ve to intercept the load. I'm gonna steal
that thing and end this fucking war. Can you help me out, Specter?”
“Anything you want, Master. Do you want me to notify your little friend?”
“No. Because of me he has become an enemy of the Coven, now they will hunt him down and I
cannot put him in danger. It’s just you and me, Specter. Alright?”
“No problem for me. Let’s go kick some asshole in the ass.”

That night the flight of the Rote Mäntel arrived at the airport, a private jet in which they had
loaded the Cradle of Rosenkreutz. The relic was enclosed in a wooden case with magical symbols
on it that served to increase its resistance. A van was brought to take the relic. Ten men had the task
of protecting it and Herbert Schmidt was in charge of the entire operation.
Herbert gave the order to leave, but the driver seemed to be frightened of something.
The man pointed to Specter.
The demonic girl stood in front of the truck and showed a sadistic smile. Herbert ordered to
leave, but the driver was beheaded in an instant.
Herbert undid his seat belt and exited the vehicle in a panic.
“Fuck! Fuck!”
The man ran to the back to check that the relic was still protected, but when he arrived he saw
the ten dead men and Specter sitting on the wooden box.
“Herbert, I see you’re doing well.”
The man turned and exclaimed, “Friedrich! Traitor, what are you doing?!”
“I’ll take the relic, Herbert. You don’t know how to control it, I do. I’ll give you the chance to
crawl back to Hamburg, but I won’t let you use the Cradle of Rosenkreutz.”
“So you and your hure have decided to go against all the magi in the world, huh?”
“Come on, Herbert, we both know you’re not that important—”
“So you want to be the hero of the situation, is that it? You’re just selfish, Friedrich Wolff!”
“What about you, Herbert? Will you sell me the idea that the Rote Mäntel care about the good of
foreigners? But when have you ever worried about others? Let’s not fool ourselves, Herbert, we
both know that Rote Mäntel are just trying to get something out of all of this.”
“You got paranoid, Friedrich. You’re just a du hurensohn pretending to be the hero of the
situation. If I gave you the relic now, you would condemn us all. I can’t do this, Friedrich.”
“Don’t make too many fuss, blode ziege.”
“Do you really want this relic? Good! Then you’ll have to pass over my corpse, scheißdreck!”
“Don’t think I’ll regret it—”
At that moment, a knife made of black smoke pierced Friedrich’s shoulder.
“Master!”
Specter abandoned the wooden box and rescued Friedrich. The girl saw Assassin appear.
“I think we have a score to settle, Specter.”
Along with the Servant was Sergei Rybakov. The man, looking at the wounded Friedrich, sighed
and said:
“I’m sorry, Master of Specter, but your ride ends here.”
Herbert wasted no time. He closed the doors of the truck and drove off. Friedrich had not yet
failed the mission, he had to be able to get rid of the enemies before Herbert could reach the Clock
Tower.
It was all a matter of time.

213
214
 CHAPTER 29

Friedrich entrusted the battle against Assassin to Specter while he took care of Sergei. He was
aware that he was hurt and had no intention of struggling with such a disadvantage. He ran and let
his opponent chase him.
Friedrich noticed that a mastiff made of black sand was approaching. It didn’t take him long to
react:
“Feuerwolf!”
The fire wolf intercepted the hound and destroyed it with its fangs. Friedrich managed to escape,
but the battle had to continue.
Meanwhile, Specter was trying to hit Assassin, but to no avail. The girl remembered the skill of
the opponent, but she couldn’t put him on the corner. Specter was fast and any blow from her would
be lethal to any creature, but Assassin was a great opponent and would never let himself be
defeated.
Specter, tired of fighting fair, decided to use her Noble Phantasm to eliminate the opponent once
and for all:
The Dog with Griffin Wings
“Caacrinolaas !”
The girl rose into the air and threw several blades from her metal wings. Assassin disappeared.
Specter lost focus. She looked around and didn’t notice the man was behind her. Assassin stabbed
Specter in the back.
The girl fell, but she didn’t give up. Assassin was a few steps away from her and approaching
with knives in hand, Specter stood up and dealt two very fast blows.
Assassin was wounded.
The man had to back away, he couldn’t risk being attacked again. Specter, with a victorious
smile on her mouth, prepared to attack him again. Assassin escaped from the blows of Specter and
the girl, nervous, thought of using the Noble Phantasm again; as soon as she stopped attacking,
Assassin stabbed her in the arm.
“You won’t escape me, Specter!” Assassin attempted to slit the girl’s throat.
“I got you, you bastard!” Specter dodged the blow and counterattacked with a double kick, there
were blades sticking out of her feet.
Assassin was wounded a second time and walked away fatigued.
“You're good at surviving... I grant you, Assassin. This battle, however, will end with my
victory.”
“There’s no battle you can win, demon.”
Assassin pulled down his hood and showed that disfigured face that horrified Specter. As soon as
he showed his face, ashes rose around him. The ashes joined together and gave shape to a musket
whose barrel was wrapped in blood-stained bandages.
Specter had no intention of waiting for the enemy to attack. The girl struck a blow that should’ve
decapitated the man; Assassin used the musket to stop the blade. Knives of smoke appeared in the
other hand. The man attacked. Specter moved quickly and resumed her assault. Assassin parried at
least five consecutive hits and, finding a tiny opening, threw a knife that pierced Specter’s foot.
Assassin smiled and jumped back. He raised his musket towards the starry sky.
The Monk Without Faith
“Farewell, Specter. Ya Ne Tsar’ !”
Assassin pulled the trigger and a flame bullet was fired into the sky; the clouds caught fire and
an immense burning cross appeared in the sky. That immense cross of fire went out and left in its
place a great black cloud from which blood rained. Specter, bathed in blood, felt her body grow
heavier. The girl realized that she was gradually turning into a vermilion-colored statue.

Friedrich hid and summoned a wolf.

“Heilender Wolf...”

215
 A golden-furred wolf approached Friedrich and began to lick his wound. The boy felt the pain
cease and when he saw that he was no longer losing blood, he thanked the animal.
“Good boy, you saved my life... now it’s time to fight, right?
The wolf yelped.
“It’s okay, it’s okay, I’ll win this fight.” Friedrich pampered the wolf. “Donnerwolf.”
The animal’s fur was coated with electricity, the beast howled and Friedrich set off to attack.
Sergei saw the boy go against him. The man had two black sand hounds with him and ordered
them to attack. The wolf’s mantle was dangerous to those creatures; as soon as they approached,
they were destroyed by the mighty lightning bolts.
Friedrich punched Sergei.
“Just give up!”
“I can’t do it, not until I find out what really happened!” He pushed Friedrich back. “You have
no idea what I’ve been through, you can’t ask me to give up as if nothing happened!”
“What are you talking about? Don’t you realize that this war no longer makes sense? The Holy
Grail of Yggdrasil is more dangerous than you think. Give up and—”
“You talk as if you know something. What do you know? What do you know about the Holy
Grail?”
“I literally don’t have time to explain it to you! I have to chase—”
“Tell me!” Sergei took out a gun.
Friedrich realized he was in a bad situation. He wasn’t scared, but he behaved much more
cautiously than before.
“Put that weapon down. What you’re doing is completely irrational. You can’t ask me to stay
here and tell you everything. There are too many things to say and I don’t have the time to do it.”
“You will tell me—”
“I can’t, don’t you understand?”
“You will tell me everything!” Sergei shouted. “I’m tired of having the same nightmares, I’m
tired of seeing the world end. I’m tired of feeling like I’m in a world of corpses! I need to know
what happened to me! I need to know about the Grail! Tell me! I’ve a right to know!”
Friedrich took a deep breath. “Fine... I’ll tell you everything.”
At that moment, Friedrich saw a cross of fire appear in the sky: it was Assassin’s Noble
Phantasm. The boy, without saying a word, used a Command Spell to strengthen Specter. Sergei
noticed this and fired a shot that narrowly missed Friedrich’s head.
“Don’t fool me. I want the truth.”
“You can’t ask me to leave my Servant, I’d rather die. Given the situation, you don’t want me
dead. So, don’t piss me off.”
“Fine! Tell me.”
“Here’s what you need to know...”

Meanwhile, Specter was about to become a vermilion statue, but she felt her body grow stronger.
She felt her Master’s mana and, with a crazy smile, she did something that many would consider
suicidal.
Only the girl’s legs were paralyzed. She, with a large blade protruding from her hand, amputated
both legs.
Shocked, Assassin thought he had just witnessed the suicide of a Servant; but it wasn’t like that.
New legs, made of blades, replaced the old ones and Specter ran towards her opponent. For each
kick delivered, sharp bullets were fired at Assassin. The man was injured and was unable to react.
Specter was stronger, faster and managed to seriously injure the opponent. Assassin tried to fight
back, but it was all in vain; he understood it too. He could no longer fight against such an opponent.
“No...” he said.
One last spark of strength. The man went on the attack and began to throw several daggers of
black smoke, Specter dodged with great speed. The two Servants consumed the distance that

216
separated them and exchanged violent blows, without any care for their condition. For each hit
Assassin inflicted, Specter dealt another. They exchanged attacks, they were both moved by a
bloody adrenaline.
But in the end, only one would win.

Born in October 19, 1582. His name was Grigory Otrepyev, a monk who apparently abandoned
the Čudov monastery after the death of Ivan IV, known as Ivan the Terrible. With the death of the
tsar, the successor should’ve been Dmitry Ivanovich, the son of Ivan, but this disappeared
mysteriously.
Not long after, a man identical to the son of Ivan the Terrible made his appearance. He was
recognized by the mother and was crowned king, but no one knew that that ruler was none other
than a monk. He was Grigory Otrepyev.

June 1605

Taking on the identity of Ivan IV’s missing son, Otrepyev was officially recognized as Dmitry.
No one doubted him, no one who was part of the plebs or the court, but there were priests who
looked at this man with a slight suspicion.
In that month, he decided to visit the tomb of Ivan IV as a sign of respect, but also to pretend to
be in pain for him. A good performance required these small sacrifices, everyone expected a son in
pain for his father and he gave the people and the nobles what they wanted.
Patriarch Job met the man during that morning, when there was no one else in the cemetery. In
an accusatory tone he said:
“I know who you are... you can’t lie to me, Otrepyev.”
The man sighed. “Do you think I care? Maria, the Tsar’s whore, accepted me as her son, the
boyars are on my side and the army loves me too. Your word no longer matters, patriarch.”
“So what are you going to do? Will you become the new tsar? Will you stain your name, the vow
you made as a monk, just to live a life of ease and power? Aren’t you ashamed of your deeds?”
“I left Poland to fulfill my destiny, patriarch. I have no shame. In the past I was a monk, it’s true,
but now I’ll be something more. I’ll be a powerful man, an unmatched man that everyone will
remember for ages to come.”
“Yours is just an insane ambition, Otrepyev. I refuse to crown a man like you, I don’t recognize
you as king. Find someone else... and may God have mercy on your soul.”
“I don’t need God,” Dmitry replied with a proud smile.

Dmitry was crowned by the patriarch Ignatius on July 30, 1605. The former monk was
recognized as Dmitry I, the new tsar of Russia.
Dmitry reigned in relative tranquility for many months, but then he decided to marry the Polish
Catholic Marina Mniszech. Dmitry refused to force his wife to convert to Orthodox Christianity, on
the contrary, he wanted to bring Russia closer to Catholicism. The Moscow Patriarchate condemned
Dmitry, the boyars decided to conspire against the same tsar and even the army revolted.

May 1606

The conspirators arrived in the Kremlin and Dmitry fled the window, but fell and broke his leg.
The man, moved by despair, sought refuge in a monastery. He wanted to obtain God’s forgiveness.
“I was wrong, okay? Everyone is wrong! Everyone! But you must forgive me! I order you to
forgive me!”
The man remained motionless, in pain, expecting some kind of miracle, but nothing happened.
“Everyone wants to dominate the world! Why should I be punished for doing something
everyone does? Why should I be punished for choosing the king’s noble path? Why should I be

217
punished for being true to my ambition? Tell me, God, WHY! Why should I accept this
punishment? I went my own way and you gave us free will to make our choices... so why are you
punishing me?”
No response.
“I’ve always been just a ghost, a nobody with nothing in hand. For the first time I was someone.
I won’t let you take everything from me! I won’t let you crush my dream! I—”
He was captured by the soldiers. He was dragged out of the church and the people armed
themselves with blunt weapons. He yelled to God:
“I won’t let you crush my dream!”
His arms were broken, he shouted to God:
“I won’t let you crush my dream!”
His legs were broken and the blows even split his ribs.
“I won’t... let you... crush... my dream!”
The pain was excruciating, people deliberately failed to hit the vital parts. They wanted to make
him suffer like a dog. Soldiers came with swords and men with saws.
He was too weak to move, he was a victim in their hands.
They began to cut.
“I...! Won’t...! Let...! You...! Crush...! My...! DREAM...!”
His body was torn apart.
“I...” he said in a weak voice “I... I... won’t... le—ou... cru—dream...”
He died.
His body was burned, his ashes were mixed with gunpowder and the soldiers fired towards
Poland.
The patriarch Job was in Starica to serve his exile, decreed by Dmitry himself, when he learned
of the tsar’s death. He bent down on his knees and uttered these words:
“You, who have abandoned God, will perhaps find forgiveness in his arms. Your name will be
stained, but your soul will be saved if you agree not to abandon the Way anymore. Goodbye, false
Dmitry... goodbye.”

The Dog with Griffin Wings

“Caacrinolaas !”
Assassin saw the blades coming.
He smiled.
“I still believe it...” He cried. “I can’t give up... on my dream.” He raised his head. “And if I
have to die, let me die knowing I haven’t given up on my dream! I don’t accept you anymore,
God! I accept death!”
The blades hit Assassin.
The Servant died and disappeared smiling.

Sergei Rybakov had just learned the truth. He didn’t say a word, but he cried. His hand was
shaking and Friedrich sensed something in him, he understood that something terrible was going to
happen and tried to calm him down.
“We can fix the situation, we can stop Sheol and Yukiko—”
“But it doesn’t matter, don’t you understand? Even if the war were to end, I would still see those
images. Why? What did I do wrong to deserve all this? I didn’t want to... and I’m tired. I don’t
want to suffer like this. I can’t live a life like this.”
Friedrich saw Rybakov raise the gun. It was obvious what was going to happen.
“Don’t do it!” Friedrich shouted. “It’s not worth it... your life cannot end because of this fucking
war!”
Rybakov removed the safety catch.
“Why do it? Why do you want to do such a terrible thing to yourself?! Once the war is over you
can have a normal life!”

218
 Rybakov pointed the gun towards his temple.
“Please listen to me—”
“There are only nightmares in my life,” Rybakov said with wet eyes. “I wanted to find the
answers... but I can’t bear the weight... it’s too much for me...”
“Please...”
“I cannot live with this suffering. I’m not a strong man... I’m just a man. After this war, my
nightmares will not cease. I’ll continue to live this way and I cannot. I’m sorry, but it’s too much for
me. You can’t help me...” He cried. “I can’t help myself...”
“Stop... please...” Friedrich was desperate, he didn’t know how to convince Rybakov.
“Ne za to volka b'yut, shto ser, a za to, shto ovtsy s'yel.”15
Rybakov pulled the trigger.
“NO!”
A shot went off.
Rybakov fell to the ground.
Silence fell.
Friedrich approached the body remaining silent, saw that Rybakov was holding something in the
other hand, it was a crumpled sheet of paper.

Stars are devoured by the night,

The moon suffocates in the embrace of darkness,
The world subsides, closes its eyes and falls asleep
Lying on the ashes of his past.

“I hold your heart... I’ll keep it with me for the rest of my days. I won’t forget you.”
Friedrich left wiping his eyes, Specter was waiting for him. The time had come to capture
Herbert Schmidt.

Herbert Schmidt had almost reached the Clock Tower. There were some magi who were waiting
for Herbert, when they saw a truck coming, they stopped him. They wanted to confirm his identity,
but he had no time to waste. The less time he was out, the less likely he would be to meet Friedrich
again.
“Give yourself a move! We have a problem!” he said.
“What’s happening?”
“A traitor is chasing me and wants the relic! We need to get it in a safe place before it’s too
late!”
“Mr. Schmidt, I believe you, but we can’t let you in as if nothing. Now we have called Sir
McLowe and Lady Wilkinson, they’ll come and check if the relic is safe or not.”
“What?! Are you—listen to me carefully: we have a fucking problem. We don’t have all the
fucking time in the world. You gotta get fucking quick, shit!”
“We can’t let you pass, we have to worry about the safety of the students, do you understand? It
will take a little—”
“You don’t really want to listen me, huh?” Herbert got out of the vehicle. “We have a fucking
problem with Specter’s Master: Friedrich Wolff. We can’t waste time on this bullshit!”
“He’s the least of your problems,” said a female voice.
Herbert turned and saw Yukiko Kumahira approaching. She was alone. The two men from the
Mage’s Association took up their muskets and pointed them at the girl.
“Who are you? Identify yourself.”

15
е за то вол а ь т, то сер, а за то, то ов у с ел. It’s a Russian proverb which means: The wolf is beaten not for
being grey, but for having eaten a sheep. It means that people are being punished not so much for who they are, but for
what they do. This is how I interpret it.

219
 “Me? Why don’t we talk about you. The Mage’s Association... an organization founded by
aristocrats with an inferiority complex. Full of Sherlock Holmes wannabes and men who never
mind their own business. An organization that believes it can bully everyone, without ever suffering
the consequences of its actions. A large den of rats who dress up like nobles and pretend to be the
greatest magicians who ever lived—”
“Identify yourself or I’ll shoot!” The man shouted.
“You’ve never been important and, frankly, those who work for you aren’t that interesting either.
You’re just parasites... and I’m the poison.”
“FIRE!”
The two men fired in unison against Yukiko, but the bullets didn’t hurt her, didn't even open a
hole on her skin. The two men were shocked. One of them entered to sound the alarm. The girl did
nothing, she stood still watching fifty magi come out and prepare to fight.
Rosie Wilkinson ordered to protect the students, Harvey McLowe and Viktor Augustav Stirgold
led the attack of the magi. Several Magecrafts were cast: fireballs, ice spears, even thunderbolts and
magical rays.
Yukiko was indestructible. She remained still and admired those furious expressions which,
however, were gradually taking on the contours of despair. The girl smiled triumphantly.
Rosie Wilkinson, with the help of Dorian Benard, erected a magical defense to protect the Clock
Tower from any possible attack. Herbert Schmidt immediately tried to get the relic to safety, when
he opened the truck he learned that the wooden box was gone. Herbert informed Harvey McLowe
of what had happened, the concern spread in an instant, but no one stopped fighting. There was an
emergency taking place and the relic was the least of the problems.
Viktor Stirgold led ten magi to create a magical net and trap the girl. His purpose was to capture
her and prevent her from using Magecraft.
Yukiko noticed it.
As soon as Viktor gave the order, half of his men were killed. The speed and coldness of that girl
made Viktor agitated, he had never seen anyone kill people like that. Yukiko’s violence also spilled
over to the other men who remained. She killed in a brutal way: she tore hearts with her bare hands,
amputated people’s arms and cut off heads using kicks. Those who fell to the ground and survived
by a miracle, found their heads crushed by that girl’s boots.
All the professors, seeing Yukiko, turned pale. There was violence, yes, but that was another
thing. No human being would’ve done such things with that coldness and ease.
Of fifty people there were seven left.
The girl was practically red.
Yukiko looked at the survivors and, smiling, said:
“You left the young people inside the building, huh? No problem.”
“We won’t let you hurt our students!”
A magical bullet hit Viktor’s leg. The man fell to the ground. The other professors were shocked
to learn that it was Herbert Schmidt. The man, sweaty and agitated, asked:
“Where the fuck is the relic? One of you hid it, didn’t you? Who stole it? Who the fuck stole
it? The Cradle of Rosenkreutz is owned by the Rote Mäntel, it’s not yours!”
“Are you joking?! Don't you realize what's going on?” Rosie Wilkinson was shocked by the
man’s stupidity.
“I want that damn relic and then you can all go fuck yourself!”
“Calm down, German!” Harvey McLowe exclaimed, he was the only one who was ready to fight
him. “None of us have that relic. You had to take care of it!”
“No, no, no, no! Don’t even try it, asshole. You don’t do this bullshit with me. That relic is very
important and I know you stole it, you cursed English thieves!”
“You’re crazy! You’re completely crazy!” Viktor said.
“Shut up!”

220
 Dorian was the first to notice that Yukiko was no longer among them. When the others saw it
too, fear broke out. Where had she gone?
“Look up!” Dorian said.
Yukiko was in the air, she was flying. The girl looked at everyone else and she saw nothing but
ants. She opened her hand and said:
“Mitt Kvicksilverhjärta.”
A liquid sphere appeared on her hand, it was made of mercury. The sphere became the size of an
apple and solidified. The girl grabbed that sphere and broke it with one hand, revealing a heart of
energy that was red and black; it seemed to be unstable and about to explode. This sphere started to
grow and the girl began to hum:
“♫ Build it up with iron bars, iron bars, iron bars, build it up with iron bars, My fair lady. Iron
bars will bend and break, bend and break, bend and break, iron bars will bend and break, My fair
lady.♫”
The magi raised a magical barrier to prepare for the impact. There was no other way. Nothing
else could be done.
The girl raised her hand, the magic sphere had reached a dimension equal to twenty times its
original size.
The girl threw that magic ball. It collided with the barrier.
...
...
The barrier fell.
In an instant the Clock Tower was razed to the ground. The explosion was immense and was
seen by several witnesses, the citizens immediately thought of a bomb. Panic spread.
Yukiko, admiring the burning rubble of the Clock Tower, hummed smiling:
“♫ London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady. ♫”

Friedrich had just arrived and when he saw that infernal scenery, he turned pale. It was
impossible. It was absurd. It was completely surreal. The Clock Tower had fallen. The Mage’s
Association had been destroyed.
In front of that fire, Yukiko danced and jumped like a child in the rain. The girl was ecstatic.
That destruction, the screams of pain and fear, amused her.
Friedrich had no words. There were no words to define that creature. Even the demons had
empathy, Specter was an example, but Yukiko had nothing. Not a shred of empathy, not even a tiny
fragment of humanity.
That was a girl who treated humans as objects that could be sacrificed. That was a girl who
didn’t give any value to human life and who had no respect, not even a minimum of respect, of
existence. For Yukiko, everything that had life could be either used or burned.
The girl stopped. She turned to Friedrich and, in a theatrical way, she said:
“Out, out are the lights, out all! And, over each quivering form, the curtain, a funeral pall, comes
down with the rush of a storm, while the angels, all pallid and wan, uprising, unveiling, affirm that
the play is the tragedy, ‘Man’, and its hero... the Conqueror Worm.”16 Then, with a satisfied smile,
she added, “So, let the tragedy begin.”

16
A poem by Edgar Allan Poe that you can find in the short story 'Ligeia'. I consider it one of my favorite poems.

221
222
 CHAPTER 30

February 4, 2021 - Day 9

Alessandro Serpi was preparing the bags, since he was excommunicated he could no longer
afford the apartment in which he was staying and had to leave; in addition he didn’t want to be
tracked down by the Coven. The problem was that he didn’t know where to go.
He had seen the explosion and now he didn’t know what to do. It was clear that either Sheol or
Yukiko were involved... or maybe both; it really didn’t matter. London would burn and Alessandro
couldn’t stand still, knowing that he would surely become the next target.
Saber joined him. “Where do we go?”
“To Friedrich. I haven’t heard from him, we need to find him and get help. We have no time to
waste.”
“But where is he?”
“I located him on the map thanks to a Magecraft. He’s still in this district. We can get there
quickly...”
“Comrade... um... are you okay?”
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter at the moment. I have to—we have to be quick.”
“Okay, but what is our destination?”
“Piccadilly Circus.”

London had changed. The bustling city had become frighteningly silent. Soldiers patrolled the
streets and people had looks of terror and nervousness. It was clear that things would only get
worse.
Alessandro moved hastily and, as soon as he saw Elisa Mancini out of the corner of his eye, he
ran like never before. He hid inside a pub and noticed that there were several assassins of the Ordo
Sicarii who were looking for him. There were at least fifteen of them. He snapped his fingers and
said:
“Abdo Me E Conspectu.”
Better than nothing. The pub had a back door and he took it unnoticed. The boy managed not to
be seen by any of the nuns who were looking for him, but in the end he found himself face to face
with her: Yukiko Kumahira.
Saber appeared to protect Alessandro. The boy was paralyzed, as if he had seen a ghost. Yukiko,
with that evil smile, approached him and, holding out her hand, said:
“I’ve been looking for you, big brother. We finally meet again, in a new universe. I bet you have
some questions for me and maybe I’ve some for you too.”
“Yukiko, what have you done?”
“Lately? Well, I destroyed the Mage’s Association. About five hundred people? I think so. Plus
the others who were killed during the war... I think we just reached or passed the thousand deaths,
perhaps. I don’t know, I don’t keep track.”
“You’re a monster—”
“Well, someone has to offer the necessary blood to the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil. It takes blood
for this to be summoned, I already told you.”
“Yes, I remember everything. I don’t know how this is possible, but I can remember everything.
My dreams show me what happened in the other universe.”
“Well, that's because you saw the end of the world. This also happens to some humans, although
not always. A magus, however, is more likely to end up in the same state as you. You can think of it
as a primordial survival mechanism... or something that has to do with the collective unconscious or
with the evolution of the species. It’s not that simple, but I could tell you that the trauma of
extinction remained in your mind and you remember it.”
“And you—”

223
 “I’m the same, yes,” she said smiling.
“Why? If everything started again, why are you in this state? Saber didn’t hit you with the
sword.”
“I’m an Imitation, I’m not connected to this world in any way. I can’t lose my memories when a
universe starts over and... everything that happens to me is like a scar that cannot be removed. The
story of this arm is different in this universe. When I became an Imitation, something went wrong
and there wasn’t enough skin to cover the whole body. So, thanks to you, I have this.” She showed
the skeletal arm made of solid mercury. “I realize this is hard to understand, we’re talking about
things that would drive anyone out of their minds. I can tell you that my existence, as an Imitation,
is a fixed point in the eternal cyclicality of time. Therefore my entire existence, both as a human and
as an Imitation, is already marked and cannot be changed in any way, but can be justified in
different ways.”
“What...?”
“Two plus two equals four, but three plus one equals four as well. This is how Imitations work,
the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil and your family too. Everything else is more random. In our case, the
result is always the same even if we change the way we justify it. There’s no need to understand,
you just have to keep quiet and accept. This is the reality of things and there’s no other.”
“And what do you want from me?”
“Do you remember what happened before the end of the world? Nidhogg spoke to you.”
“So what?”
“Well, dear, Nidhogg doesn’t talk to anyone. So, I’d like to know what’s special about you and
believe me Alessandro, I’m tired of all this. But what happened I cannot explain in any way. I want
to know. What’s special about you, big brother?”
He couldn’t stand there talking to her, he had to meet Friedrich. The most important thing was to
get together and find a way to stop Yukiko and Sheol.
“Do you really want to know?” he asked.
“Yes, tell me.”
“Here’s what’s special about me: Adversarium Ferio!”
The magic push overturned Yukiko. Saber took Alessandro and took him away immediately.
Berserker appeared and prepared for the chase, but Yukiko stopped the Servant.
“Leave them alone, we have more important things to take care of. Alessandro will come back,
he always comes back.”

The sun was going down. Friedrich was with Specter and he was waiting impatiently for
Alessandro and Saber.
At that moment, he saw Hisae Sunahara arrive with Archer. Specter prepared for battle, but
Friedrich stopped her and asked his rival:
“Do you really want to go on fighting?”
“You just want to have the Grail for yourself, don’t you?”
“You’re crazy... the Clock Tower has fallen, the Mage’s Association has been destroyed, London
is in chaos and you still think about the Grail? The Holy Grail no longer matters... can’t you see?
Listen to me, girl, leave now—”
“These are tragedies that can happen in a war. I don’t care... and I want to fight you! That’s why
I’m here!” The girl didn’t seem so sure of herself.
“If we fight, we’ll both die. Abandon this war if you want to live, you’re not forced to fight—”
“SHUT UP!” She screamed. “You just have to keep quiet. You have no idea what it means to
have a father who demands perfection and blackmails you using your brother... you have no idea
what my situation is. I’ll kill you and end this damn war!”
“Please, you don't have to...”
Archer nocked the arrow. Friedrich resigned himself and turned to Specter who, however, had
her eyes wide open and terrified like those of a deer in front of the hunter. Specter was looking at

224
something further, Friedrich glimpsed these blue and transparent skeletons that walked without
following a precise path; their heads were turned downwards. A female figure appeared among
those skeletons. Friedrich didn’t know her, but he heard Specter utter:
“Sheol... she’s here...”
Hisae and Archer turned and saw Sheol arrive with her souls. Archer recognized her
immediately, his bow fell from his hands and Hisae, worried, turned to her Servant to make sure he
was okay. She saw him cry.
“Archer? What’s wrong? Why are you... crying?” Hisae was bewildered, she didn’t think a
Servant could cry.
“Princess...” he muttered.
“Archer, what are you talking about? What ‘princess’? Thomas de Camoys, answer me!”
“Harumi... Fukano... it’s her... I remember her... I promised...”
“Fukano Harumi? Who is it?”
“Nobody,” Sheol replied in an authoritative voice. “Fukano Harumi is nobody, I’m the only
reality. He, seeing me, remembers everything that happened in every world he existed in. I
transcend the concept of ‘end’ imposed by the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil.” Sheol then turned her eyes
to Specter. “You. You, Glasya-Labolas, do you serve a human because of complacency or
compulsion? Well, actually you may as well not answer... I’d kill you anyway.”
Specter trembled hearing those words and hid behind Friedrich. She muttered:
“We have to run, Master. I’ve no hope of winning against her...”
While Friedrich was planning a way to escape, Hisae was ready to fight Sheol and ordered
Archer using a Command Seal:
“Kill that Servant, Archer!”
Archer obeyed and immediately used his Noble Phantasm: the spiritual archers appeared and
prepare to shoot arrows at Sheol.
Great Battle of Azincourt
“Left Wing of Agincourt !”
All the archers shot their arrows with him. The impact of the Noble Phantasm raised an immense
smokescreen. When it dissipated, Sheol was gone and Hisae let out a sigh of relief.
But while Hisae and Archer were pleased to have eliminated the enemy, Specter looked at them
like crazy and commented:
“You’ve just made the mistake of your life...”
“What are you talking about?” Friedrich asked, worried.
Specter pointed to the sky. Friedrich raised his gaze and saw Sheol with her arms crossed and
with a furious look. When the other two also realized that she was still alive, they were frightened.
Sheol didn’t waste words, didn’t comment on the fact that she had come out unscathed from the
opponent’s attack, didn’t boast and didn’t even snort.
The woman got down and hit the ground with a heel. A dull, very powerful sound, like that of an
explosion; Friedrich had to plug his ears and fell to the ground because the earth began to vibrate, as
if there was an earthquake.
That power was beyond all measure. It was as if Sheol had shaken the whole universe with a
single blow.
“You’ve enraged the Underworld itself,” Specter said.

Sheol, the Devourer-class Servant, stood in front of Archer. The fired three arrows which were
disintegrated by the sword of Sheol. That sword was much larger than a normal weapon, it looked
like a very heavy sword and Sheol handled it with ease. It was absurd and it was an example of his
strength. Archer tried to find an opening, but it wasn’t easy to fight an opponent of that caliber.
Sheol was quick, more than she seemed, but you could tell she wasn’t a swordsman.
She didn’t have a technique and only slashed when it was strictly necessary. Her strokes were
powerful, yes, but even Archer had noticed that she had a very simple style.

225
 The man used distance to his advantage and began shooting several arrows always circling
Sheol. He didn’t stop and the woman couldn’t parry all the blows. Archer’s arrows, however, didn’t
bring her to her knees; she was hurt, but she didn’t fall. She was like a mountain.
Sheol, without warning, made a lightning movement; Archer was wounded by a sword slash.
The man fell to the ground, but then he got up and used his own blood to wet an arrow and shoot it;
the ensuing explosion injured Sheol, but not as much as hoped.
That woman looked like a deity who came down to earth. Putting her out seemed impossible,
Archer had no idea what to do. The worst thing is that the man kept seeing Harumi Fukano when he
was fighting Sheol, this slightly destabilized him. Sheol approached slowly, it was as if she was in
no hurry to finish that battle. Archer, decided to try it all out. If he failed, it would be the end.
The man wet an arrow with his own blood and fired. Sheol, not understanding the man’s
intentions, did nothing to dodge that attack; the woman’s body was wounded. Archer, therefore,
used his Noble Phantasm:
Great Battle of Azincourt
“Left Wing of Agincourt !”
Thousands of arrows hit Sheol.
The attack would’ve killed any Servant, but Sheol was out of the ordinary.
The wounds on the woman’s body closed in an instant. Sheol raised her head and, with a slightly
bored look, said:
“This isn’t a battle, Thomas de Camoys. This is you digging your grave. You have no chance of
defeating me, even with all your might. Your Noble Phantasm is useless, your courage is
irrelevant... just like your love for this body—”
“The fact that you say those things with that face you wear, bothers me. I remember Harumi
Fukano, I remember my princess, I’m not going to let her memory be tarnished by you.”
“Do you defend the memory of this body of flesh?”
“Don’t call her that!”
“My dear knight, no matter how you feel for her, you’re dead. You died a long time ago, you’re
just a ghost in this age. How can a creature with no future fall in love with a living girl? You’re
fighting for something that you could never have achieved.Whatever you want to do to honor your
princess is useless as the same love you felt for her was useless—”
“Your words hurt me, but they give me a reason to keep fighting!”
“If you talk about suffering, it’s not my words that you need to worry about.”
Archer got into position and prepared to use the Noble Phantasm for a third time. Sheol didn’t
try to stop the opponent, but turned to Hisae and immediately tried to attack her. Archer noticed it.
The man stepped in front of the girl.
Sheol’s sword pierced him from side to side.
From Archer’s mouth came a single bloodstained word:
“RUN!”
Hisae saw her Servant disappear. The girl, shocked and sad at the same time, didn’t have time to
cry even a single tear. Archer, the legendary Thomas de Camoys, had fallen by Sheol’s hand in an
instant.
Hisae Sunahara came face to face with death and she ran away without looking back, what else
could she have done?
Sheol didn’t try to chase the girl, it wouldn’t have made much sense to waste time killing a weak
one like her; Sheol was looking for a prey worthy of her, worthy of her power.
The woman turned to Specter. The demonic girl didn’t have the courage to look into her eyes,
she was like a child frightened by the monster in her closet. Sheol had that bored look, as if the
battle against Archer had never happened, and she walked over to Specter. She raised her sword and
pointed it at her opponent.
“Fight me, Glasya-Labolas. You’re a demon, someone like you should be able to offer me a
better challenge.”

226
 Friedrich saw his Servant: it was clear that she wasn’t ready for battle. He had no pride to defend
and had no intention of putting his life or Specter’s at risk, so he suggested:
“Let’s withdraw. We can fight her later—”
“But really?” Sheol asked. “I thought I was dealing with heroes or something. Aren’t you going
to defend your world from me?”
“I’m not so dumb as to confront you when our morale is clearly low.”
“But you’re stupid enough to believe that I’ll let you escape.”
Sheol walked quickly, she was ready to kill both Friedrich and Specter.
The woman stopped.
She had sensed something: a Servant.
As Sheol turned, she found herself facing a blade. She parried the blow only by luck. Sheol
slashed back, but she hit nothing.
Her rival was Saber. When Sheol saw her, she let out a grimace and didn’t proceed to fight.
Something had changed, it was as if she sensed something in Saber. There was something in
Saber’s gaze that had attracted Sheol’s attention.
The girl, as soon as she looked at Sheol, had a moment of dizziness; it was the same thing Archer
had experienced. Saber felt herself being born a second time and remembered everything.
Everything that had happened in the previous universe, she remembered Alessandro and their battle
against Yukiko and Berserker.
The girl wasn’t in a position to fight, Sheol granted her the opportunity to leave along with
Specter, Friedrich and Alessandro. Neither of the four understood what was going on in Sheol’s
mind at the moment, but it was clear that she was planning something.

227
 CHAPTER 31

Hisae Sunahara had just seen Archer die. Her mind was hit by a storm of questions and doubts,
but the thing that hit her hardest was the terror of going back to her father.
“What do I tell him?” she asked herself in a trembling voice.
It was a suicide. Coming home was suicide, but she couldn’t leave her little brother in the hands
of her father. The girl began to think so intensely that she didn’t notice the arrival of another person.
“Hello, Sunahara,” Yukiko said with a smile.
“What the—”
Hisae didn’t have time to react, she was already glued to the wall and with Yukiko’s hand to her
throat.
“Well, I was looking for you. So, Hisae, do you remember my promise?”
“Are you really so cruel that you want to kill a girl who is no longer participating in the Holy
Grail War?” she said with tears in her eyes.
“I’m not your friend, Hisae, I’m not anyone’s friend. I don’t see why I should have pity on
strangers—”
“Sióg!”
The girl fired these small bullets of light which, once they made contact with Yukiko, pushed her
back. Hisae, free, immediately tried to escape. Yukiko blamed herself for not using any Magecraft
to enhance her physical abilities, but seeing the girl flee brought a predatory smile to her face.
“Mitt Vapen...”
A gun appeared on Yukiko’s hand. The girl fired without hesitation and without even taking aim.
If that had been any weapon the bullet would’ve missed its target, but that gun fired magical bullets
that could track targets. The bullet dodged obstacles as if it were intelligent and never lost its speed.
Hisae was shot in the leg. The girl screamed for someone to come and help her.
“Nobody will help you, Sunahara,” Yukiko said with that perverse smile. “You’re in my hands,
finally. Your brother also died from this gun, isn’t that ironic? I hope you don’t put up any
resistance, I don’t want to chase you endlessly—”
“It’s not fair...” she said crying. “I just wanted to protect my brother...”
“Whoever lives to be a shield will have to prepare to break. Protecting others is a waste of time,
what you should worry about is yourself. If you use your life to protect others, you just waste your
life.”

228
 “Only a monster would say such things...”
“I’m a monster, yes, but what are you? You’re definitely not a hero and you’re obviously not a
saint. So what are you? Just a sad person who tries in vain to value her existence. You’re not special
and, above all, you’re not smart enough to understand that your actions are harmful. To protect is to
spoil. Those who live protected never grow up and never suffer, therefore—”
Hisae couldn’t hold back a chuckle.
“What’s so funny?”
“This is already the millionth time I’ve heard these speeches. Do you know what the funny thing
is? Is that these arguments are always made by the worst people, I wonder why... spare me the little
lesson about life, you don’t know a thing about life. You, my father, and many others, don’t care
about the lives of others. You make these speeches to feel superior and intelligent, but you’re only
selfish and cruel. Maybe I’m wasting my life, but it’s better to use your life to protect others than to
use it to do harm. So spare me this bullshit and kill me. I don’t want to hear the words of a person
with a god complex—”
Yukiko fired.
The girl said nothing, but she was visibly bothered by the words she had heard.
At that moment Berserker arrived and warned Yukiko of the arrival of a Master. The girl turned
and saw Murakawa Tetsuya with Lancer. The man, with a sadistic smile, approached with his hands
in his pockets.
“Here we are, finally. I was looking forward to fighting someone. So, brat, it’s been a while
since we last met.”
“Ah, right... you’re the killer who worked T6. I don’t want to sound rude, but I don’t think
you’re in a position to deal with me.”
“Do you want to bet, brat?”
“Berserker, get ready. At my order you’ll have to attack. Jag är Stark.”
Yukiko and Murakawa approached.
They stopped a few paces from each other.
Tetsuya threw a punch, Yukiko parried the blow and kicked the man’s knee; Tetsuya lost his
balance and Yukiko knocked him out with a kick. The man jumped up and used his elbow to hit the
girl’s nose. Yukiko walked away and waited for the opponent’s next blow; the girl, therefore,
avoided the punch with a leap forward and ended up behind Tetsuya. The man was hit in the back.
Tetsuya didn’t fall and, once turned, began throwing quick punches targeting the opponent’s
head and stomach; Yukiko parried every single blow with perfection. Tetsuya, unnerved, grabbed
the girl by her throat, but she broke his arm and, with a kick, broke his nose.
The man was already losing focus, anger was taking over.
Lancer, behind Tetsuya, didn’t understand the meaning of that battle with bare hands and,
without following any order, attacked Yukiko with inhuman speed.
The spearhead collided with Berserker’s armor.
Lancer had been quick, but Yukiko’s Servant seemed to have foreseen that attack. Lancer
jumped back and ordered the Master to stay in the rear to which he replied:
“I can still fight...”
“I don’t care. I’m not here to play, I want to win this war and I’ll win it at any cost.”
Lancer set off to attack, Berserker parried the spear strike and counterattacked with a punch that
sent Lancer flying out of the alley; the Servant crashed into a house. Berserker ran towards Lancer
and, with one fist engulfed in flames, unleashed a powerful attack that literally blew up the entire
building. Lancer had managed to dodge the attack and resumed the offensive. The two Servants
began fighting on the street.
Lancer’s quick hits were unable to breach Berserker’s defense, but that didn’t stop the warrior.
Berserker tried to fight back, just like before, but this was a fatal mistake because Lancer moved
and wounded Berserker’s arm with her spear. A kick sent Yukiko’s Servant flying into a parked car.
Berserker grabbed the vehicle and threw it, Lancer jumped and made a short run on that car in mid-

229
air and then leapt towards the opponent. Berserker dodged the spear attack and returned with a
straight punch, Lancer dropped the weapon to dodge the attack and hit the enemy’s leg with a kick;
Berserker fell and Lancer grabbed her weapon to pierce her heart. The spearhead was blocked by
Berserker’s hands. Berserker got up and took out her sword and slashed heavily, Lancer was forced
to parry some blows, but lost her balance and fell backwards. Berserker kicked Lancer and then
holstered the weapon.
The two were at a considerable distance from each other.
Berserker ran towards the opponent. Lancer did the same. At first it looked like the two would
collide head-on, but Lancer jumped with her feet on Berserker’s shoulders and used the opponent as
a foothold for an even higher jump. Lancer’s spear lit up. Berserker turned and saw five astral
spears appear around her. Berserker’s fists were engulfed in flames.
My Condemnation of Crotone
“Katadíki tou Krótona !”
My Hell is Eternal
“Ashes of Camelot !”

An Amazon warrior chosen to become the nurse of a little girl who would one day become
Queen Penthesilea. Her name was Cleta and she was one of the most loyal, most determined and
also most maternal warriors. The long Trojan War, which broke the life of Penthesilea, came to an
end and Cleta decided to return to her native land, but a storm brought her to the Italian peninsula.
She was the first Amazon to set foot in this beautiful land.
Cleta founded the city of Cleto in southern Italy and taught the doctrines and values of the
Amazons to the women of the city, this allowed the birth of Amazon settlements in these wild
lands.
Cleta, queen of the city, became the mother of a beautiful son: Caulone. The woman raised him
and taught him to fight and also to survive, but the day came when the two had to separate. Caulone
was young and ambitious, he wanted to explore the wilds of southern Italy and obtained his
mother’s permission to travel and found new cities.
Caulone traveled with three Amazons and during his journey he met some men who were
escaping from the war. He welcomed them and founded a city for them: Caulonia.
Obviously Caulone remained faithful to his mother and so Caulonia and Cleto became allies, but
this attracted the attention of Crotone, a very powerful and fierce city founded by the Achaeans.
Crotone, also called Kroton, didn’t accept rivals and declared war on Caulonia. The battle lasted
very little and Caulone lost his life. When the news of Caulone’s death reached Cleta’s ears, a
conflict broke out between Crotone and Cleto.
Cleto had excellent warriors, but they were outnumbered by the opposing forces and the battle
became a one-sided slaughter. The queen died cursing Crotone and its inhabitants.

Lancer stood up. She was wounded and her armor had been badly damaged, but she had not lost
her will to fight. Berserker, seeing the approaching opponent, had a moment of hesitation; the whole
scene was absurd. Lancer’s willpower was commendable, but it was also frightening. It wasn’t easy
to find warriors with that determination and courage, but Lancer was no ordinary warrior: she was
an Amazon.
The Amazons weren’t afraid of death, they weren’t afraid of suffering and were always ready to
fight. The injuries, for Cleta, were nothing special. Getting hurt was normal. Suffering was normal.
Retreating, however, would be dishonorable, and she had no intention of tarnishing her name at a
time like this.
Berserker had become her Crotone, it was the opportunity she had been waiting for a lifetime: to
defeat something that couldn’t be defeated. Cleta approached slowly and, with that fiery gaze of
hers, she exclaimed:
“If I have to die, I’ll die my way and with my head held high. I will kill you, Berserker! With
this attack! I. Will. Kill. You.”

230
 Lancer’s body was engulfed in intense red flames, the woman’s skin was turning black as coal
and crumbling little by little.
Murakawa Tetsuya, who saw that scene, didn’t want to believe his eyes. If that was a Noble
Phantasm, then it was killing her. The man approached, he was as if tempted to interrupt her; he
didn’t. He realized that there was no other choice now: it was all or nothing. Either they won or they
died.
The uncertainty disappeared from the man’s heart and he decided to provide all the mana support
necessary to empower the woman, he even used a Command Spell to make her even stronger. They
had to give their all against such opponents.
The red flames increased in intensity and began to burn everything that was in close proximity to
the woman. Berserker tried to get closer, but the temperature was unbearable even for a Servant.
The fire around the woman disappeared and enveloped the spear. Lancer raised her head and
shouted:
The Blood of My Son Caulone
“Kókkini Flóga !”
Lancer threw the spear.
Berserker took out her sword and without hesitation used her Noble Phantasm, the most
devastating:
Deicide
“No More Avalon !”
The impact of the two attacks was devastating. Entire buildings were swept away. The golden
light and the red flames collided and, at first, it almost looked like neither would win.
After a few seconds, the sacred light of death extinguished the red flames and engulfed Lancer
along with Murakawa Tetsuya. The blow cut the earth and caused a deafening silence to fall on that
battle.

“We’ve arrived,” Friedrich said

“Where are we?” Alessandro asked.
“Aylesbury, that house you see is mine.”
“I thought you were a nomad...”
“I am, but the house was left to me by my brother Clovis. It belonged to him, this is where he
went on vacation and where he sometimes continued his studies. Come in, this will be our refuge.”
The house had two floors, a dining room, a kitchen, a bathroom, two bedrooms and even a study
room. It was quite spacious, but everyone present knew that the place would only be inhabited for a
just a day or maybe two.
Friedrich made Alessandro sit in the dining room and informed him of everything that had
happened in his absence.
“So we don’t know where the Cradle of Rosenkreutz is? Do you think it was stolen?”
“I don’t know, Alessandro, I really don’t know. Most likely it was taken by Yukiko, who else
could it have been? But I’ve no idea what she can do with such a relic, it’s not as destructive as her
precious Holy Grail of Yggdrasil.”
“Be that as it may, we can’t let that crazy bitch keep such an object for herself.”
“I know...”
“So, what do we do?” Alessando asked, worried.
“Well, we have Sheol on one side and Yukiko with Berserker on the other. London is in chaos
and the Mage’s Association has been destroyed. We’re in a sea of shit and we don’t have long
before Yukiko summons the Holy Grail—”
“She won’t,” Alessandro said.
“How can you be sure?”
“That girl is sick and has a depravity that I cannot understand. She has a perverse form of
attraction towards me, I know for a fact that she won’t summon that Grail if I’m not there to see.
She wants to show me the world being destroyed.”
“Why do that...?”

231
 “I already told you: she’s sick. I noticed when we spoke in front of that art gallery, her attitude
towards me is perverse. She needs me, she needs to prove something to me, she needs to make me
suffer... she depends on me.”
“Let’s say I believe you, how are you going to act?”
“She’s waiting for me at Westminster Abbey, where she’ll summon the Holy Grail of
Yggdrasil. If she wants me, I’ll be there and fight her.”
“Alessandro, it’s risky. We can both take care of Sheol and—”
“This is worse. Yukiko is looking for me, don’t you understand? If you and I fight Sheol, we risk
attracting Yukiko and Berserker too, which would mean fighting those three enemies at the same
time.”
“Divide et impera... this is your strategy, but it’s as risky as mine. What I recommend is to focus
our forces on one enemy at a time so we can—”
“Friedrich, it won’t work...”
“Even your plan might not work, you might as well condemn us all, don’t you realize?”
Friedrich raised his voice. “You want to go and fight Yukiko alone, but you know perfectly well
how it will turn out. Let’s leave Yukiko aside and worry about Sheol, she’s the biggest threat right
now. You said it yourself: Yukiko will not summon the Holy Grail if you’re not there to see.”
“But she will look for me, why don’t you understand?”
“I just want to stop you from hurting yourself, you idiot! Your idea, your strategy, is far-fetched.
How can you think this can work?”
“But you will get us killed immediately!” Alessandro shouted.
“No, that’s you!”
Saber intervened, “Okay enough, arguing will lead to nothing. Now we just have to take a break
to reflect. Tempers are still hot and there’s fear in the air, let’s try to calm down and we’ll talk about
it when we’re ready.”
The two boys accepted and separated.

Friedrich went to his bedroom and, when he turned on the light, he saw that there was a double
bed and he noticed the presence of a photograph of Clovis with his daughter and his wife. He
couldn’t look at it for too long and threw the photograph into a drawer then closed it.
“I’m sorry, brother... but I’m not strong...”
“You are.” Specter appeared and closed the door behind her.
“How can you tell?”
“Because I know you, Friedrich.”
It was the first time Specter had called him by name, he had a moment of embarrassment.
“You’re a brave person, Friedrich, one of the bravest I’ve ever met. You’re here, ready to fight
Sheol, while I’ve been a coward and couldn’t even hold my head up. I’m afraid of her, while you...”
She smiled. “You want to face her, you’re ready to fight against her and give your all to defeat her.
No human before you would ever have thought of doing such a thing. I, on the other hand—”
“Stop that,” he said. “Stop treating yourself like this. Being afraid is normal, you don’t have to
condemn yourself for it. I’m scared too, more than you think, but I’m ready to go on because I
know Sheol is dangerous... and I... I...”
“Friedrich?”
“I don’t want to die...” he murmured crying. “I only have this life, Specter, and I don’t want to
lose it. I don’t want to die. I want to live until the end, I want to continue traveling and playing and
meeting people and seeing the world and laughing and knowing many cultures...I... I don’t want
my life to end. I’m more afraid of that than of Sheol...”
Specter embraced Friedrich. She understood his emotions, understood what he was feeling and
respected him even more. She felt like smiling, because that boy had balls of steel. He knew he only
had one life and he could drop everything and leave the Holy Grail War, but he was fighting.
Friedrich had decided to bet that one life against Sheol. It took lion’s courage to do such a thing.

232
 “Thanks, Specter...”
The girl stroked his face and blushing, said:
“Call me Glasya.”
She kissed him.
When the two lips parted, he asked her in a low voice:
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, if this is to be our last night, let’s make it special for both of us.”
He kissed her.
The two fell on the bed.

Alessandro was in the kitchen looking for something to eat, only food could calm his tension. He
took out some canned tuna, when he saw that it wasn’t expired he served himself. Saber appeared as
the boy had just started eating, the first thing she said to him was:
“I remember everything, Comrade.”
He stopped.
“Yes, I remember...”
“How...?”
“I... um... don’t know... but I know that I’ve lost. I was killed by Arthur, right? Crazy stuff. I was
sure that I would be able to win and instead I lost. I’m sorry, Comrade, for disappointing you. You
put your trust in my abilities, but I lost. I guess that’s why you didn’t trust me right away, am I
right?” Her face had clear shades of sadness.
“What makes you believe it?” he asked slightly confused.
“Well, you already knew who I was. You already had the memories, right? You could’ve treated
me with more confidence and instead, you treated me like a stranger. I know why, it’s not easy to
deal with losers—”
“That’s not it,” he said shaking his head.
“Then... why did you...?”
“I knew you, but you didn’t know me. You were completely different from the friend I had, I
couldn’t treat you the same way. It would’ve been selfish of me, don’t you think? You weren’t the
same Caesar and so I decided to behave differently, I did it out of respect for that friendship we had
cultivated. I admit... I was rude to you and I’m sorry.”
“So... you’re not mad at me because I lost?”
“Why should I?”
“I’m Gaius Julius Caesar. One doesn’t summon one like me to lose. I can only win, so people
rely on me for a sure victory, that’s why—”
“I’m your Comrade, Caesar, I’ll never abandon you,” he said smiling.
The girl was moved and almost felt like crying. Alessandro, noticing her shining eyes, stopped
eating and remained as if waiting for a few tears. She noticed it and asked, perplexed:
“Do you want to see me cry?”
“You never did. I find it strange.”
“Why?”
“Well, crying comes naturally. Everyone should cry, it’s a way to express their emotions.”
“Yeah, well...”
“You don’t cry?”
“I never did. Maybe only once, but I was acting.”
“Wait... are you serious?!”
“Yes, I’ve never cried. I mean, there’s nothing that has ever made me cry. Maybe you, a little...”
She quickly changed her tone and became playful. “Well, maybe because I always see you crying
and then I feel like crying. You know, tears are contagious. But maybe now you’ll stop crying,
because officially you’re no longer in the Coven. You can do anything you want. You’re free.”
He opened his eyes wide. He hadn’t realized this. He was free, that meant he could do anything.

233
 “But I... I don’t know where to begin. I mean, with all this freedom, what can I do? Where can I
go? Where can I start? The possibilities are endless...”
“Where would you like to start?”
He looked at the priest’s robe he was wearing. He got up from the table and took it off
immediately. As soon as he was shirtless and saw that garment on the floor, he took a deep breath.
He felt as if he had taken off a collar. He closed his eyes and couldn’t help but smile. He was free.
No orders, no hierarchies, no annoying people and the world started calling him.
He opened his eyes and turned to Saber, who was looking at his body with a smirk; she looked at
him and winked. He remembered that peculiar characteristic of Caesar and, with his face as red as a
tomato, exclaimed agitated:
“Don’t get any strange ideas, okay? It was just the first thing I wanted to do.”
“Well, if a man undresses in my presence it’s for—”
“Saber!”
“Yeah, yeah... so, that’s all?”
“Um...” He scratched his head and then something occurred to him. “Saber, I need you for one
thing. I know it may sound strange, but I was wondering... can you cut hair?”

February 5, 2021 - Day 10

The next morning, Friedrich prepared a car for departure. It was in the garage and worked
perfectly. He and Specter awaited the arrival of Alessandro and Saber. Friedrich’s mind was
troubled by bad thoughts, he feared Sheol and he was afraid of dying on the battlefield like Archer,
and he was terrified of seeing Specter die.
“I’m going to face Sheol,” Specter asserted with a combative look.
“Are you sure?” he asked worried.
“Yes, I’m ready to fight. I can’t live by running away and I don’t want to look like a coward at a
time like this. I’m ready to give my best.”
“And I’ll be by your side, Glasya.”
“So we’ll die together? How romantic,” she said with a smirk.
“We won’t die, Glasya, I promise you. I’ll do everything to make us win.”
“You’re so cute, Friedrich. I’d eat you with kisses.”
“Hold on, little monster,” he said smiling.
Alessandro went out with Saber. The boy’s hair had been cut, only a tuft on the left was kept
long. He was no longer wearing that priest’s robe, but a T-shirt. When Friedrich saw him, he was
slightly shocked, he would never have expected such a look from someone who worked for the
Catholic Church and so he commented:
“Do you want to go to a rock concert?”
“Very funny,” he answered sarcastically. “What’s the plan?”
“Suicide. Your favorite,” he said with a touch of irony.
“Okay, so Saber and I are taking care of Yukiko and Berserker...”
“Specter and I are taking care of Sheol.”
“The first one who wins goes to help the other,” Alessandro said.
“Yeah, that’s the plan.” Friedrich got behind the wheel. “Get in the car, it will be our last trip if
everything goes wrong.”
“Do you have the driving licence?”
Friedrich smiled at him. “Please...”
“Well, let’s see what happens if I die in a car accident. Maybe the world will be safe.”
Alessandro sat down next to Friedrich, the two Servants got behind. The car drove off to
London.
“I found something in the car, a compilation that my brother and I liked to listen to.” Friedrich
took out a USB stick and inserted it. “This will be our tragic song, like the ones made before death.”

234
 Alessandro prepared himself for a piece of classical music or a Gregorian chant or even a sad
song.
The boy heard a powerful rock guitar solo, shortly after the drums started.
He turned and looked at Friedrich with two wide eyes. It wasn’t what he expected to hear before
his death. Friedrich exclaimed:
“Let the Motörhead get inside you.” He began to sing over the song. “♫ I don’t know what I like,
I don’t know what I am, I don’t know where I’m going and I don’t give a damn. I say the world is
crazy, know there’s no one to save me, I know a few things baby; I know we're in a jam. Black hole
in the sun, I don’t like the way we always run and if your eyes are closed I better stay awake. You
sleep like an angel baby, but I know you’re truly crazy and I think that we're grown lazy waiting for
the snake. ♫”17

Sheol was sitting comfortably on a roof of a house, she was watching a riot that was igniting the
streets of the city. The woman saw that violence with detachment and she calmly awaited the arrival
of Nidhogg and the end of the world.
At that moment she sensed Specter’s presence. She wasn’t far, but she wasn’t in town but in
Regent’s Park. Sheol reached the demon girl in an instant and said with irony:
“Do you want to go for a walk with me? Lots of fire hydrants you can piss on, dog, they’re
basically all free.”
“Too much time...”
“Sorry, what?”
“I’ve wasted too much time being afraid of you and of my end. I know I’m weaker... but I’ve to
face you Sheol, I’ve to prove to myself that I’ve changed and if you’re my enemy then so be it! I’m
here to fight!” Specter exclaimed.
“I don’t think you listened to me... maybe Nebiros didn’t tame you well—”
Specter ran towards Sheol with her blades drawn. Sheol immediately brandished her sword and
parried all the blows of the opponent and she hit her with a very strong punch in the stomach. Sheol
stroked Specter’s face and said, pretending to feel affection for her:
“Stop fighting, you’re making a fool of yourself in front of your Master.”
Specter raised a victorious smile and two blades came out of her belly and wounded Sheol’s
stomach. Specter jumped, a blade came out of her foot and, with a kick, the girl managed to cut
Sheol’s face; another aerial kick knocked the woman down. Specter landed on her feet. Friedrich
was impressed by that move of his Servant.
Sheol got up and slashed, Specter dodged the first blow and the next as well; the counterattack
sent Sheol down again.
“Can’t you do better?” Specter asked. “You may be powerful, but I’m more agile than you.”
Sheol stood up. Her wounds healed immediately and she said, “I’m glad to know that maybe I
won’t be bored. Let’s do it.”
Sheol struck several blows, but Specter was able to dodge practically all of them and, as soon as
she found the opening, she hit the opponent in the throat with a blade. Sheol, wounded in the throat,
got on the defensive and Specter took the opportunity to injure her legs; Sheol tried in vain to push
the opponent away and was eventually brought to her knees. Specter tried to slit her throat, but
Sheol blocked her blade and with a quick movement struck Friedrich’s Servant with a fist; Specter
crashed into a tree.
Sheol’s wounds healed immediately and she approached the demon girl with a calm step. She
raised her sword and prepared to execute her. A blade came out of Specter’s hand and the girl made
a very fast leap; Sheol dodged.
“Too slow...”
“Am I?” Specter had a grin.

17
Waiting for the Snake from the album The Wörld Is Yours (2010) by Motörhead. Lemmy is god.

235
 Sheol noticed that one of her ears was on the ground. The physical wound regenerated, but the
woman had also been struck in her pride; that demon was proving much more skilled than Thomas
de Camoys.
“You’re better than that mortal, Glasya-Labolas, but you can never defeat me, that’s a fact.
When the girl summons the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil, I win.”
“That’s not true, you and the Grail are not—” Specter stopped. Her face was painted with terror.
“Finally you understood.”
“What?” Friedrich asked.
“If Nidhogg destroys the world, I’ll make sure it’s never born again. I will lead all of you inside
me, you will become part of the Underworld.”
“No... NO!” Friedrich was shocked. “How? You’re a Servant, you can’t—”
“I’m a Servant, it’s true, but don’t fool yourself: I’m beyond you. I’m directly linked to the
Holy Grail of Yggdrasil which is a staple in a cycle of eternal deaths and rebirths. The Grail
paradox can be exploited by me and I can prevent the rebirth of the next world by blocking
everything in the Underworld.”
Friedrich understood the gravity of the situation. If Alessandro and he had failed, the whole
world would’ve been doomed. Friedrich turned to Specter, this didn’t hide her concern. Sheol,
noting the condition of her opponents, commented with a slight grin:
“If you want to surrender to the inevitable, I’ll accept it—”
“No,” Specter said. “You can forget it!”
Specter kicked Sheol, and a blade came out of the foot and wounded the woman. Specter jumped
and tried to hit her opponent again, but Sheol managed to recover and grabbed Friedrich’s Servant
by the leg and slammed her into the ground and then threw her against a tree. Specter returned to
the attack without allowing herself a moment’s rest.
Sheol parried Specter’s first three hits and counterattacked with her sword, but Specter dodged
with a jump and used her Noble Phantasm.
The Smiling Dog of Hell
“Caassimolar !”
Specter stuck a blade into Sheol’s shoulder and this began to see only the face of a demonic
smiling dog. The woman tried to free herself from the illusion and meanwhile Specter used her
second Noble Phantasm:
The Dog with Griffin Wings
“Caacrinolaas !”
Thousands of blades struck Sheol from the sky. The woman, unable to react, fell on her knees on
a pool of her own blood.
Friedrich felt a sense of relief, he had just witnessed Specter’s victory, but Servant didn’t share
that sentiment.
Sheol got up. Her wounds healed and she was ready to fight again. How could such a monster be
defeated? Friedrich had no idea. He had never seen such a powerful Servant, it was something
absurd from every point of view.
Sheol took up the sword again and attacked Specter, she dodged as always and counterattacked
as always. Specter’s strategy didn’t change much: she dodged, attacked, jumped, circled the
opponent and hit the limbs. She repeated the same tactics and every time she looked for a weak
point, but Sheol didn’t die and, even stranger, didn’t change her strategy. Sheol didn’t try to predict
the opponent’s moves, she just fought. There was no strategy, there was not even a minimum of
studying the opponent.
Friedrich noted that Sheol’s style against Glasya-Labolas was identical to that against Thomas de
Camoys. Sheol had stayed true to her tactics and Friedrich understood why: Sheol was sure she
would win anyway. The woman wasn’t getting tired, while Specter was showing signs of letting up.
What Sheol was doing was waiting for the right moment to kill the opponent. She had all the time
in the world, Specter had little time.
Friedrich then noticed something, another element that was in common between the battle
against Specter and that against Archer: the sword. Sheol had never let go of the sword. That was

236
really weird. It was true that Sheol didn’t follow the rules of the Holy Grail War, but here it wasn’t
about rules but common sense. What was the point of holding a sword she didn’t know how to use?
Sheol wasn’t a swordsman, her techniques were really trivial and Specter was very good at avoiding
blows; even Thomas de Camoys had no problem with that. So why did Sheol have the sword?
“Maybe...”
When Specter jumped to get away from Sheol, Friedrich used that occasion to let her know of
his doubts. The demon girl was gripped by the same perplexity and she changed her tactics: she
aimed at the arm that held the sword.
Specter, with incredible speed, attacked Sheol. The woman braced herself for a frontal blow, but
Specter feinted and severely injured her opponent’s left arm.
Sheol’s face was masked with concern. Specter saw this and used the opportunity to be more
aggressive.
Friedrich’s Servant didn’t stop dodging the blows, but her attacks always targeted Sheol’s left
arm. Specter wanted to cut off that arm. Sheol’s tactics changed without warning: the woman began
to dodge the blows and counterattack more effectively.
“She’s scared...” Friedrich said in a low voice. “The sword is the weak point. The fucking
sword.” Friedrich summoned a wolf. “Eiswolf!”
The beast assisted Specter and froze Sheol’s legs with its cold breath. Specter, smiling, struck a
blow; Sheol parried it with the blade and immediately tried to free herself. While the woman was
busy with Specter, the ice wolf bit her left arm and began to freeze it.
Sheol was agitated, she was losing control of the situation. Specter had become more aggressive
and she was only waiting for a moment, a single instant. The moment came: Sheol concentrated on
the wolf.
Specter pulled out a blade.
She cut off Sheol’s arm.
Specter immediately noticed that the wounds on Sheol’s body were no longer regenerating
quickly. The girl smiled and jumped back. She used her Noble Phantasm:
The Dog with Griffin Wings
“Caacrinolaas !”
Thousands of blades hit Sheol, thousands of blades pierced her body and knocked her to the
ground. The woman was dying, the battle was about to be won.
Friedrich looked at that scene with an irrepressible heartbeat. The battle was about to end and
Sheol was about to fall. Specter was succeeding.
When the Noble Phantasm came to an end, Specter was tired and Sheol was about to die. The
woman, with the blades stuck on her body, made only one last movement. A jump that freed her
from the ice.
Specter understood, but she wasn’t quick enough to stop her opponent.
Sheol touched the sword.
The wounds healed and the left arm completely regenerated. Sheol stood up brandishing that
weapon. Specter and Friedrich were left speechless and above all they were exhausted. Everything
they had done was undone in seconds. Sheol smiled like never before and said:
“So be it, Specter, I’ll kill you.”
The woman plunged her sword into the ground and recited a magic formula:

“I am the Leviathan
My blood is ash
My body is a thousand lives
The right holds the Judgment
The left holds the Power
On my head there is the Right
Nobody sits on the throne of kings

237
 Tremble you who observe my face
Seven-Headed Twisted Rule”

A shock wave pushed Specter to the ground and suddenly both she and Friedrich found
themselves in an immense desert made of ash. Burnt bodies emerged with screaming faces and
terrified eyes turned towards the crimson-tinged sky illuminated by a black sun surrounded by
seven stars. There was no vegetation whatsoever and the cold reigned supreme. From the sky it
seemed to snow.
Specter was visibly worried, but wasn’t about to give up... however she knew her Master
wouldn’t be able to give her enough magical energy for another Noble Phantasm. Sheol
commented, smiling wickedly:
“You didn’t manage to kill me in the end, but I congratulate you because you proved...
acceptable as an opponent.”
“I don’t need your pity, Sheol!” Specter exclaimed, furious.
“That’s all you’ll get from me, dog.”
“If you think you can defeat me, you’re wrong!”
Sheol sighed and replied with a bored look, “Miracles don’t exist. You can’t defeat me, Glasya-
Labolas. This is a fact. You can’t beat me in any way. Surrender to your fate and die.”
Sheol raised her sword and exclaimed:
The Power of the Wrath of Mars
“Gevurah .”
One of the stars around the sun shone, from that star began to come out millions of weapons of
various kinds. The weapons were fired at Specter. The girl managed to dodge the first blows, but
then... her leg was injured. Specter fell, got up and started running with a limp. Another weapon
wounded Specter’s, she endured the pain, and kept running.
Friedrich couldn’t bear that sight and channeled the last crumb of magical energy to strengthen
Glasya-Labolas, but Sheol didn’t allow it: weapons aimed at him. Specter, without thinking,
stepped in front.
All the blades hit her.
“GLASYA!” Friedrich shouted in tears.
“No...! Run away...!”
The storm of weapons ended and the whole dimension disappeared at the behest of Sheol. The
woman saw the two defeated from afar and left them the opportunity to suffer alone, after all she
had no time to waste and still had some Servants to kill.
Specter fell into Friedrich’s arms.
“Glasya! Don’t give up... please... not after everything we’ve done...”
Friedrich was in tears, but Specter wiped his eyes and consoled him:
“Don’t cry for me... I’m just a demon who forced you to take part in this war... I used you as a
tool to satisfy my selfish desire... and I—”
“No, don’t say that, you idiot... you have given me so much...”
“Ah... what did I give you? Suffering? Nuisance? Embarrassment? Or...”
“You. You changed my life, Glasya, more than you think. You’re inside me and I could never
love a person as much as I love you.”
She cried. She cried like she had never cried before. He kissed her and held her in his arms as
she disappeared.
“Friedrich, you have to help them... you’re the only one who can prevent the end of the world.
Tell them what we found out, tell Caesar so she can defeat Sheol.”
“How can she...?”
“We’ve discovered Sheol’s weakness, but Caesar has a weapon that can save us. Tell her
everything and she will know what to do...”
“And you...?”

238
 Specter kissed Friedrich and whispered to him in a weak voice:
“One day we’ll meet again, Friedrich... I’ll wait for you. I love you.”
“I love you.”
Glasya-Labolas disappeared.
Friedrich remained silent. He closed his eyes and kept within him the lively hope of one day
seeing the love of his life again.

239
 CHAPTER 32

Westminster Abbey.
Alessandro entered with the determination to put an end to that useless massacre. Inside the
completely silent abbey there was only Yukiko, her face was fake like the face of a porcelain doll.
Alessandro noticed that Berserker wasn’t there and Yukiko removed all doubts:
“She’s out waiting to face Saber. If you want you can send your Servant away, I’d like to talk to
you privately, after all she’s not part of our family, is she?”
“Go,” Alessandro said to Saber.
“Are you sure, Comrade?” she asked, worried.
“Yes. I promise you that I’m not gonna die.”
“All right, may Fortuna assist you, Comrade.”
“Good luck, Caesar.”

240
 Saber left Yukiko and Alessandro alone. There was a heavy tension in the air. Yukiko said
nothing, Alessandro slowly approached. The cathedral, filled with the echoes of those footsteps,
seemed to be completely isolated from the rest of the world.
Alessandro stopped about twenty paces from the girl.
“Well, it’s nice to be here after a long time, huh? Last time we had the opportunity to talk a little,
today do you prefer to go straight to the point?”
“Just a question.”
“Go ahead, ask.”
“Why? I can understand everything, but not this. I’m not referring to your strange obsession with
me, but to your desire to destroy everything. I swear I haven’t figured it out yet. All the participants
had different reasons to fight, there were those who had noble reasons and those who had none, but
you have a purpose that I cannot understand. Destroying the world is suicidal by definition, your
desire to see the void cannot be just a curiosity. There must be more.”
“Well, big brother, I wasn’t like that at first. The first time I took part in this war was by order of
the New Order of Nidhogg, the organization I work for. I was forced to take part in all of this and
initially I didn’t have too many problems. A war for the Grail was a war for the Grail, nothing
special.” She paused. “In the beginning I had the same way of looking at human life as you, believe
me. I was aware that I was nothing but a ghost, a shadow... a talking corpse. I had tremendous
respect for my past life and for human life, but that respect disappeared when I saw the end of the
world. Do you want to know why? Because the very idea that life was unique and that people were
unique and unrepeatable was false. All those who died returned to life.”
“So...?”
“Well, if something that dies can come back to life, then it’s not special. Life has value only
because it ends and cannot be repeated in any way, but if a life can be repeated every time... then
life itself has no value. The whole existence is as if it has entered some kind of inflation. There’s a
loss in value if life repeats itself after death. So why should I care? Your life, anyone’s life, no life
matters. No life has value. Everything that exists is worthless. Why should I empathize with
something that will never die anyway?”
“I see...” he smiled. “I thought about it and you were right about freedom.”
“Oh, really? So will you come over to my side?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“First, let me tell you a story I heard.” He started, “One day Jean-Paul Sartre found himself in the
hospital with a broken leg from having fallen during a mountain hike. His friend Merleau-Ponty
visited him and asked him: ‘Couldn’t you have been accompanied by a guide?’. Sartre’s response
was: ‘Do you see Sartre going to the mountains with a guide?’.”
“Nice story, but—”
“You can't understand it, can you? You’re right to say that human beings aren’t free, but it’s not
freedom that gives value to every single life. I wasn’t free and neither was Friedrich nor all the
others, no one is free, but each of us has our own life with different experiences and different
tastes. I bet that somewhere there’s another person who, like me, has been abandoned by their
parents, but this person is not me. Even the most little shade can completely change a picture.
We’re not free, but we’re unique. Jean-Paul Sartre will forever act like Jean-Paul Sartre, but we
know he won’t act like Merleau-Ponty who in turn will always act like Merleau-Ponty. What’s the
lesson? That the life of both is worthless because there’s no freedom? No. No, the lesson is that the
lives of Merleau-Ponty and Jean-Paul Sartre have value precisely because they’re unique in their
own way.”
“So are you telling me you don’t care that you don’t have any freedom?” she asked, smiling.
“Yes, I don’t care. I’m me. Friedrich is Friedrich. Harumi was Harumi. Caesar is Caesar. You
are you. There are no copies, we’re all non-free and we’re all different. Who cares if we don’t have
absolute freedom?”

241
 “So you will agree with me that people are like objects.”
“No. Objects can be mass produced, humans cannot. A life cannot be mass produced, because
every life has its own value and uniqueness. Every single person who breathes is unique in good
and bad, the illusion of freedom is just a sin that can be forgiven to people. That’s why I'm here.”
“Are you here to save the world, hero?”
“I don’t want to be a hero, I don’t have that ambition. I’m here because people have the right to
live and I’m gonna prevent you from extinguishing their life on your own personal whim. I will
never be your ally or even your friend. You can ask me the same question as often as you like, but
I’m not going to be the accomplice of a temperamental brat who has no respect for life.”
Yukiko said nothing.
The girl sighed.
“Do you want to stop me? Give it a go. I bet it will turn out like last time.”

Saber and Berserker met outside Westminster Abbey. Berserker was strangely calm when Saber
arrived.
“Round two, Berserker. Last time you managed to defeat me, but this time things will be
different.”
“What makes you believe that, Saber? Things haven’t changed. I’m strong and you’re weak.
Your Master will be killed by my Master and the war will be won by us. Why delude yourself?”
“Well, you’ve done it all your life, you’ll forgive me if I decide to do it a little too.”
“Tch! Your arrogance disgusts me, Saber. I’m the King of Knights, the King of Britain,
daughter of the dragon and the greatest legend—”
“Bla, bla, bla... yes, I know the story.”
“How dare you?!” Berserker shouted. “Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with, Saber?”
“Oh, sorry, did you really feel that bad? I never expected this from a king who refused to feel
emotions. I mean, I know your story... it’s not even that great. The daughter of Uther Pendragon
who was raised and trained by Merlin and who then agreed to sacrifice her humanity to become
king. I know that story. Before the sword of the stone, you agreed to give up your emotions to be
the perfect guide to Britain. You became the perfect king, but not a good king. You renounced love,
family and even luxuries and friendship... you renounced everything just to be an ideal king. Yet, at
the end of it all, there was a rebellion and you lost everything.”
“You don’t know me. I sacrificed those things not to be an ideal king, but for the good of the
people. The people had to be protected, the people had to come before me. I sacrificed myself for
those who were weaker. I didn’t want to be perfect, I wanted to be the fairest and most impartial
guide—”
“Haha! And how did it go? Tell me, oh, ‘great king’, how did it go?”
“Are you implying that I got it all wrong?”
“Perceptive. Then you still have a brain... well you know, it’s not like protecting the people is a
priority. A sovereign’s priority is to make the state work. Who cares about protecting the weaker?
It’s just paladin bullshit, but it’s not a king’s thing. If the state doesn’t work, the people will never
be safe. Functional laws must be created—”
“Laws must be fair!” Berserker exclaimed.
“This is bullshit, Arthur. You cannot make laws that are right, because every person wants
something and there will always be someone who will hate your laws. The people are like that,
that’s why there are statesmen. Ask democratic Athens what the people are. Democracy killed
Socrates. The will of the people killed one of the most brilliant philosophers in history. The people
are irrational and will never accept the laws, they will always look for an excuse to rebel and to do
what they want. That’s why there is a need for functional laws, laws that guarantee the functioning
of the state—”
“But so you create a cynical state.”
“Better a ‘cynical’ state than a nursery state.”

242
 “That’s enough!”
Berserker hit Saber with a punch so hard that it sent her flying to the ground. Saber got up
immediately, wiped the blood from her lip and without hesitation attacked Berserker with a series of
blows that managed to throw the opponent off balance. Saber hit Berserker with a kick in the
stomach and lunged with her sword; Berserker grabbed the blade in time and punched Saber’s face.
Berserker grabbed Saber by the throat and threw her against the church wall. Berserker was
ready to throw a punch, Saber went on the attack immediately and used her Noble Phantasm:
Sword of Certain Victory
“Crocea Mors !”
The blade, illuminated by a divine light, struck Berserker in full; the slash was so powerful that it
destroyed parts of Berserker’s armor. The helmet fell and revealed the face of King Arthur
Pendragon.
“Now we’re face to face,” Saber said with a smile.
“Is this what you wanted?”
“Have you ever seen yourself? You’re not what you used to be, I can see that you’ve become a
monster. How can you defend your ideas when they have made you this?”
“It wasn’t my ideas that were wrong, but my choice to leave Avalon to return to my people and
save them from chaos and wars,” Berserker explained in a dark tone.
“So you were cursed... do you care so much about your ideas that you sacrifice yourself for
them?”
“Wouldn’t you have done it?”
“Not if those ideas were stupid.”
“When I speak of fair laws, you speak of functional laws. When I speak of a benevolent king,
you speak of a cynical and detached statesman. When I speak of the people, you speak of an
irrational mass. It’s clear that you will never be able to understand me, Caesar. You’ve lived by
following only your ambition, while I’ve tried to realize the good of the people.”
Berserker’s fists were engulfed in flames. The two Servants collided head-on. Saber nimbly
dodged the first two punches and countered with a side swipe; Berserker parried the attack. Saber
didn’t let herself be grabbed by the opponent and, with a brisk step, moved behind her. Berserker
spun around with a punch, Saber stopped the blow and countered with a kick that took the
opponent’s breath away.
Berserker drew Excalibur.
The two blades clashed aggressively. The heavy blows of Berserker managed to put Saber in
slight difficulty, it was a real luck that the latter wasn’t physically weak. Saber was forced to stay on
the defensive for the duration of seven sword strokes, the girl was taking time to understand the
opponent’s move pattern; on the eighth attack, Saber immediately counterattacked with a lunge.
Berserker was injured, but not badly. The two Heroic Spirits resumed fighting.
Berserker struck two fairly predictable blows, Saber went on the offensive without realizing that
she had been lured into a trap; Saber’s first blow was parried, Berserker disarmed the girl with ease
and prepared to deliver a lethal attack. Without thinking twice, Saber grabbed Berserker’s legs and
performed a double leg takedown.
Saber immediately retrieved the sword and moved into position. Berserker got up furious and
quickly went on the attack, Saber took advantage of that reckless move and wounded the opponent
with a blow to the stomach.
“This is the point,” Saber said. “You act according to your instincts when you should be more
rational. What you’re talking about cannot be realized and you should’ve known it perfectly,
because I made that mistake before you.”
“What are you saying...?” Berserker was confused and she wasn’t interested in her own wound,
which regenerated shortly thereafter.
“I tried to be impartial during my dictatorship. Of course, I wasn’t so foolish as to put the people
before me, but I modernized the Urbe, simplified the bureaucracy, revolutionized the calendar,
founded colonies, welcomed the barbarians into the Senate, extended citizenship, adapted the laws

243
to the new needs of the state and I did a lot more. Have I ever been thanked? No. When my
creations weren’t enough, I decided to cling to clemency to appease rebellious souls. The result?
I’ve been betrayed. My son and other conspirators killed me. I had forgiven my enemies and they
stabbed me in the back. This is what happens when you’re benevolent: ungrateful people kill
you.”
“I understand your thoughts, Caesar, I too have been betrayed by my son. Mordred, who aspired
to become like me, decided to go against me and against the people I had to protect. In the end, I
had to kill Mordred for the good of Britain. But that doesn’t change things. I didn’t follow my
instincts, I followed morals. I acted in the most ethical way.”
“You can’t always be honest, good and fair. Leading a state means knowing how to lie, how to
make compromises and also how to make sacrifices. The immediate good is precarious... the goal
of a leader is to achieve the greater good.”
“How many people have you killed for that greater good, Caesar?”
That question was followed by a lightning-fast swing that Saber couldn’t parry, the girl was
injured and fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
“Millions, right? Millions of lives have been broken for you. Millions of lives for just one. You
talk about these things as if you were an expert, but you’re just a bloodthirsty tyrant who has
sacrificed countless lives just to quench her thirst for power.” Berserker’s tone was accusatory and
had a hint of contempt. “I gave everything to protect my people and I never dreamed of killing so
many just for myself. You’re just a megalomaniac, Caesar.”
The girl only got up when the wound had completely regenerated.
“You’re right, Arthur, I’ve sacrificed many lives, but it’s easy to judge when you’re not living
your life to the full. The people who died because of me are the ones who gave me the chance to
make a revolution. You can’t change things if you don’t sacrifice anything. Big changes always
require big sacrifices. You know nothing of these things, my little reactionary.”
“You—”
“You’re like them, don’t you know? You’re like those conservative aristocrats who were afraid
of every little change and who had no problem making Rome their stage for their bullshit. They
were more busy looking after their business than their state. Have you ever heard of the Third
Servile War? I witnessed the Senate’s worst response to a rebellion. This is because those damned
idiots had underestimated Spartacus and so he defeated several of our legions. That’s the state I
lived in, and that’s why things had to change.” She paused and raised the sword. “You have no
right to judge me. You wasted your life while I did everything I was allowed to do. You’ve never
been open to new experiences and you’ve never had real friends. You always behaved like a saint
and, as proof of this, you kept yourself a virgin because you were ashamed of being a woman.”
“You’re wrong, I’ve never considered myself a woman. I’ve always been a king first.”
“All made up excuses to cover up the fact that you were ashamed of your body and also afraid of
getting fucked.”
“How dare you?! You’re insulting me!” Berserker tried to hit Saber, but the attack failed. “Don’t
run away from me! I won’t let you live after what you said!”
“What’s your problem, Arthur? Don’t like talking about hot topics?”
“The fact that you treat me first as a woman and then as a knight is a grave disrespect—”
“You’re both, Arthur. You’re both a woman and a knight. Neither comes before the other. This
need to be rigid and perfect is really strange to me, maybe it’s because I’m not ashamed of my
sexuality or maybe because I know how to enjoy life. Whatever it is, you and I are similar in some
respects, but we’re opposite in everything else. This battle is not between Berserker and Saber, this
is a battle between a reactionary and a revolutionary... between Arthur Pendragon and Gaius
Julius Caesar.” Caesar thrust her sword into the ground. “I’m tired of playing, now it’s time to
win.”
“So be it, let’s see which of us is better: the King of Tyrants or the King of Knights.”
“Give it your all, Arthur, because I won’t take it easy.”

244
 Arthur started running towards the opponent. Caesar’s sword lit up and the girl spoke the name
of the Noble Phantasm:
The Lives That Made Caesar Great
“Venus Victrix !”
Arthur was brought into the territories of Gaul. The warrior heard soldiers marching and saw an
immense army of one hundred thousand soldiers appear behind Caesar. There were Roman
legionaries, there were Gauls, Germans, Egyptians and Africans. There was a battle cry and the
army advanced en masse against that one adversary who didn’t even have a soldier on her side, but
Arthur didn’t need soldiers.
The blade of light illuminated those lands like a sun and Arthur shouted with all her energy:
Deicide
“No More Avalon !”
The sword annihilated those soldiers and destroyed that land. Caesar grabbed her sword and set
off to attack. Arthur’s mighty Noble Phantasm had opened chasms and literally sent huge clods of
earth into the air; Caesar jumped on one of these clods and Arthur joined her. The two warriors
began to fight, the blades clashed quickly and meanwhile the two opponents jumped from one clod
of earth to another. It was as if they both intended to reach the sky. The sound of steel exploded
constantly and neither warrior was taking a break. Every single second was filled with swift and
aggressive blows. The two Heroic Spirits were inebriated by that battle.
All the clods of earth fell.
An immense cloud of dust rose and inside it you could still hear the steels as they collided with
each other. Both Heroic Spirits weren’t even hurt, that duel was a real war and neither of them was
going to lose it. The blows, at one point, became so strong that they generated shock waves. The
ground under the feet of the two warriors was literally shaking, it was if a battle between two gods
was taking place.
The two warriors were still in Gaul and that pristine land was destroyed by that duel. Caesar and
Arthur constantly moved in that land without borders, wherever they went they destroyed.
They were both smiling, it was as if that battle was amusing them. They were happy to have put
their ideas and their pride on the line, they were both happy to have a worthy opponent.
That never-ending battle was like a storm every blow that was struck was quick as lightning and
aggressive as thunder. There was one last metallic explosion and finally came, without warning, a
long minute of stillness filled with heavy breathing.
Neither warrior was injured.
Neither warrior was going to surrender.
Caesar raised her sword and Arthur did the same. Both blades glowed.
Sword of Certain Victory
“Crocea Mors !”
Deicide
“No More Avalon !”

The territories of Gaul disappeared. The long battle finally came to an end. Only one of the two
warriors remained standing, while the other was defeated. It had been a difficult battle for both
Caesar and Arthur, they both came out exhausted... but above all different.
All the words of respect and commendation were expressed with silent looks and a final
handshake. That respect was earned by both of them, as both Servants had decided to put their ideas
on the table and challenge each other to determine which of the two was the best; but in the end the
battle had turned into something different: a need to redeem oneself for the mistakes made.
Only one of the two warriors remained standing until the end, the other fell.
Arthur fell to her knees.
Caesar saw her rival disappear and exchanged a farewell smile.
The girl remained silent as a sign of respect for the deceased warrior, she sheathed her sword and
headed for the church.
“Saber!” It was Friedrich’s voice.

245
 “Huh? Where is Spect—” Saber didn’t continue, she understood everything from Friedrich’s
pained expression. “I’m sorry...”
“Don’t worry about me, worry about Sheol. Glasya told me you have a weapon to defeat Sheol, I
don’t know what she was talking about... um... listen, I know Sheol has a weakness: her sword.
Without that, she’s more fragile and can be defeated.”
“The sword, huh?”
“Yes, and—where’s Alessandro?”
“Inside the church facing Yukiko.”
“Okay, I’m going to help him... you have to recover your strength, you’ll need it.”
“Are you asking me to stay here and wait for Sheol?”
“Yes, I know it’s—”
“Okay,” she said. “I will.”
“Thanks, Saber.”
Friedrich walked towards the church.
“Wait,” Saber drew the boy’s attention.
“What is it?”
“Please, protect him.”
“ I will.”

Friedrich entered Westminster Abbey and the first thing he saw was Alessandro Serpi, wounded
in his left arm. Alessandro was barely standing and, further ahead, there was Yukiko Kumahira
without even a scratch; she had an amused smile.
The girl noticed Friedrich and approached him with that sadistic look. Alessandro snapped his
fingers and exclaimed:
“Acies Gladii!”
Three astral swords were summoned and fired like bullets at Yukiko; the girl wasn’t injured.
Alessandro was desperate and Friedrich, realizing the gravity of the situation, summoned a wolf:
“Eiswolf!”
The ice wolf’s breath created a wall between the boys and Yukiko.
“Get out... she’ll kill us both... I can’t allow it...” Alessandro said in a weak voice.
“You’re crazy—”
“And you’re on the verge of magical energy, I noticed that. So how did it go...?”
Friedrich shook his head.
“Fuck...”
“Don’t you have any healing Magecrafts?”
“I can’t waste magical energy, Saber has to fight two Servants—”
“One. Berserker is dead.”
Alessandro breathed a sigh of relief. “Then, we can—”
Yukiko smashed the ice wall with one punch. The little girl hit Alessandro with a kick in the
stomach, then punched Friedrich in the face. They both fell to the ground. Yukiko first targeted
Friedrich and punched him in the face a second and a third time, then returned to Alessandro, but he
found the strength to react:
“Defendere!”
Yukiko’s kick didn’t hurt the boy, but the next blow managed to break through that magical
barrier that defended him. Yukiko took Alessandro and threw him against Friedrich.
“I’m glad the two little friends have decided to die together,” Yukiko said with an evil grin.
“This battle will be very interesting, for me of course. We’re almost there, first I’ll kill you and then
I’m gonna summon the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil.”
Friedrich looked up and noticed what Yukiko had prepared: it was a magic circle drawn using
silver dust; there were four crystals positioned at the four cardinal points and there was a wooden
cup in the center.

246
 Friedrich noticed that the mana in the structure was acting on that magic circle and activating the
crystals, causing them to light up. This meant that the ritual had already begun.
Friedrich hastened to think of something, of a plan to prevent Yukiko from proceeding with the
ritual and then something occurred to him:
“Alchemy...”
Alessandro listened to him and asked, “Alchemy?” He turned to the magic circle that had been
prepared. “Yes...”
Friedrich had to get closer, but how? Alessandro thought about it and there was no way he could
run that long distance without being attacked by Yukiko. That girl was like a wall.
Then Alessandro was struck by an idea and motioned to Friedrich to stay still and whispered to
him to wait for the Magecraft.
Alessandro approached Yukiko and said, with a confident smile:
“Hey, stupid bitch, do you think hurting my arm is enough? I’ve good stamina, you know?”
Yukiko smiled. “Ahah! Well, I certainly won’t be the one to judge my brother’s suicidal
thoughts. You can choose friends, but not family.”
Alessandro ran and made Yukiko turn her back to Friedrich. The boy then, before Yukiko could
take him, snapped his fingers and exclaimed:
“Obscuro!”
Nothing happened to Yukiko.
Alessandro turned pale and the girl, after a short laugh, hit him in the face and then threw him
against the wall. The girl started kicking him in the face and after the fifth kick, she turned around
and went looking for Friedrich. He wasn’t there.
“Tch! Lucky for him that he has practically no more magical energy available. I would’ve
tracked him down easily...” The girl turned to Alessandro and when she saw that he was unable to
react, she decided to devote herself to the ritual. “Well, it’s time to end this world too.”
The girl approached the magic circle.
Suddenly Friedrich appeared near the circle.
The girl widened her eyes and saw him grab one of those crystals and throw it against a wall.
The crystal broke.
“What?! NO!” Yukiko yelled in shock.
“First alchemy lesson: if one of the ingredients is missing, the entire magical ritual is ruined.”
“You...!”
Friedrich took another crystal and threw it against the wall.
“STOP IT!”
“It’s late now, Yukiko. You lost. The entire ritual has been nullified, you will now no longer be
able to summon the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil—”
Yukiko hit Friedrich with a very strong punch, the boy flew against a stone column and was
knocked unconscious.
“You’ll pay for this. I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you!”
The girl was furious as she had never been. She turned to Alessandro, grabbed him by the throat
and threw him into the center of the cathedral. She got on top of him and started beating him with
the same violence as a ferocious beast.
“You’re just garbage! An eternal whiner child who can’t help but cling to others like a fucking
parasite! You’re the bastard that everyone loves! Oh, yes! Yes, yes, yes! You’re the fucking scum
who ruined my life! I hate you! Your birth caused my death! I will kill you, Alessandro Serpi! I
will kill you!”
The boy, helpless, had already suffered a dozen punches and was losing consciousness.

A voice in his head told him, “Remember...”

247
 A father who only wanted to sacrifice him to obtain the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil. A mother who
abandoned him to be able to live her own life. The Coven, which manipulated him only for reasons
of power and success.
He remembered everything.
Those inevitable experiences, those inevitable pains, had made him what he was: Alessandro
Serpi. None of everything he had gone through had been fair, but all the pain he had felt allowed
him to change his life and come to the moment of his liberation.
He couldn’t let Yukiko snatch everything from him.
Alessandro opened his eyes.
His Magic Circuits emitted a golden light that Yukiko couldn’t explain, the boy was enveloped
by a strange energy that began to heal his wounds little by little. The girl, frightened, walked away
from him.
“How...?” she was shocked. “How did you do? Who are you, really?”
“I’m tired of hearing you talk... Yukiko.” The boy got up and walked over to her. “This is the
time to end it, I don’t want to have anything to do with you anymore. Hope your indestructibility
protects you!”
“Stay away from me!”
Alessandro grabbed the girl’s head, as soon as he pronounced the first part of the formula it was
impossible for her to escape.
“May all nature in the world hear this hymn. Open, oh earth, and let the springs be quiet. Trees,
welcome me under the branches, I am about to praise God the creator, the All, the One. Oh heavens
open up; oh winds, calm down, and all listen to me: may the immortal circle of God hear this prayer of
mine, because I sing the Creator of this universe. He who put the earth in order, who suspended the
sky, who commanded the water to come out of the ocean and spread out in every part, so that men can
drink. He who ordered the fire to spring from the earth to be used by men and gods. We give praise to
the One who is above the heavens, the Creator of all nature.”
Yukiko couldn’t react, she was as if paralyzed. She and Alessandro were emitting a white light.
“Almighty Lord, whose power has overcome Satan and made him fall from heaven faster than
lightning, I invoke Your Name to grant me the strength and faith necessary to attack this terrible
dragon with the protection of your almighty arm. Kyrie Eleison!”
Yukiko let out a scream of agony from her mouth. The light that enveloped her body deepened.
It seemed that light was burning her. When Alessandro let go of her, the girl fell to the ground
deprived of her senses.
Alessandro was tired and had very little magical energy. Friedrich, who had just recovered, had
only witnessed part of what had happened and was confused.
“What happened...?”
“Exorcism, she’s alive because she’s not a demon and... perhaps... because of that Magecraft
that makes her indestructible...” his voice was tired.
“Are you okay?” Friedrich asked worried.
“Mine was a risky move, I just hope Saber has enough energy to face Sheol. Now... it’s all in
her hands.”

Saber was outside Westminster Abbey when she saw Sheol arrive.
Sheol stopped, raised her arm and pointed to Saber with a theatrical motion.
“You,” she said “you’re the last one left. I can sense that the ritual to summon the Grail has gone
wrong, but for me it’s not a problem. After I take you out, I’ll find a way to summon it. This, for
me, is snack time... and then I can finally get to work.”
“Well, it will be a bitter snack, Sheol...”
“The fact that you still want to joke makes me realize that you’re not understanding your
situation. I killed both Thomas de Camoys and Glasya-Labolas, what makes you think you’re a
different case?”

248
 “Well, I can’t rush to conclusions, not without fighting you—”
“Yeah... ‘fight me’. I’m not an admirer of this urge of you mortals to fight the inevitable. One
creature, a very ancient king, tried to fight death and failed miserably. But I’ve always been
bothered by the very idea that he thought it was really possible to avoid death, only fools and
madmen fight something that cannot be defeated. What are you, Caesar? A madman? Or a fool?”
“A little bit of both, Sheol. Unfortunately for you, I’m not here to talk—”
“One thing, before I kill you: why do you want to fight me?”
“I’m not a good person and I’m certainly not a hero. My life has been full of great deeds and
terrible atrocities, but I’m not a monster and it’s not my intention to let you destroy everything. I
will fight to defend this world from you, because I care about these people and above all because I
care about my Comrade.”
“If that’s what you want, I’ll give you the chance to commit suicide. However, Caesar, I won’t
play with you. I’ve a Holy Grail to claim and you’re getting in my way.”
Sheol planted her sword on the ground and said:

“I am the Leviathan
My blood is ash
My body is a thousand lives
The right holds the Judgment
The left holds the Power
On my head there is the Right
Nobody sits on the throne of kings
Tremble you who observe my face
Seven-Headed Twisted Rule!”

Saber found herself in another world, a dark dimension overflowing with suffering, but she
didn’t have time to study the place... she had to stay focus.
The Eternal Song of Venus
“Netzach .”
One of the stars around the black sun lit up, shortly after a red bolt hit Sheol’s sword and the
blade got a crimson color. The woman raised her sword and struck a powerful blow that shook the
ground and cut it in half. The red bolts advanced towards Saber, destroying everything in their way,
and the girl ran to dodge that terrible attack.
Saber immediately used her Noble Phantasm:
Sword of Certain Victory
“Crocea Mors !”
House of the Fire Moon
“Yesod .”
Around Sheol rose a circular fortress made of ashes and embers. Saber’s attack failed to
penetrate that defense. The girl immediately thought about using another attack, but she didn’t have
time to act as Sheol was already using another Noble Phantasm:
The Body of the Four Elements
“Malkuth .”
A gigantic sphere of black fire fell from the sky, with that size it could’ve destroyed an entire
city. Saber had to run at top speed to avoid being hit. That immense sphere of fire wasn’t hot, on the
contrary the air was freezing around it. Saber was hit by that winter cold, her body was screaming to
slow down but she ran faster.
Sheol saw the sphere impact and the immense explosion suggested that Saber was dead. The
fortress that defended Sheol disappeared and the woman smiled at the thought of having triumphed.
But when the dust cloud cleared, Saber was found standing and ready to use her Noble
Phantasm:
The Lives That Made Caesar Great
“Venus Victrix !”

249
 It was impossible for Saber to drag Sheol to the lands of Gaul, but the hundred thousand soldiers
appeared nonetheless. Saber, raising her sword, ordered them to advance and her men rushed en
masse against Sheol. The woman didn’t move and said:
The Visceral Starlight of Mercury
“Hod .”
Huge black thorns made of metal came out of the ground and impaled all soldiers. None
survived. Saber witnessed the failure of her second Noble Phantasm and the worst of it was that she
had no idea how long she could last. Sheol had an endless supply of magical energy, she didn’t.
Sheol saw deep concern in Saber’s gaze and scoffed at her smugly.
“You can give up and accept death, Caesar. You can’t face me in any way.”
Saber remembered Friedrich’s words perfectly: the weak point was the sword. But how could
she disarm Sheol? She wasn’t an opponent who accepted close combat, not on that occasion at least,
and in that dimension she had several Noble Phantasms.
Saber didn’t have the physical time to devise a strategy, Sheol had already used another Noble
Phantasm:
The Unity of the Primum Mobile Uranus
“Kether .”
From a star descended a black chain that wrapped Saber’s sword. The girl tried to react, but it
was useless. The blade was broken. Saber lost the sword, in other words she lost two Noble
Phantasms in one blow.
She was completely unarmed.
The girl tried to control her panic, she had to think fast, but she also had to run because Sheol
used another Noble Phantasm:
The Power of the Wrath of Mars
“Gevurah !”
Millions of weapons began to rain from the sky like bullets and Saber worked hard to dodge and
think about how to fight without any weapons. She remembered Friedrich’s words and tried to think
of a strategy to deprive Sheol of the weapon. She had one, but it was risky.
If Sheol’s sword was indeed a Noble Phantasm, then maybe it could be destroyed, but Saber
knew it wasn’t the only Noble Phantasm and so, if she was wrong, it would be the end. The girl had
to think very carefully about what she was doing, she couldn’t risk losing... there was the whole
world at stake.
She had to be sure of what she was doing. It was a gamble.
The storm of weapons ceased.
The girl stopped and took a deep breath.
She closed her eyes.
It was all or nothing.
“Alea iacta est...” she said in a voice tinged with fear.
The girl took off the laurel and let her hair down. The laurel lit up and the girl, looking at a Sheol
preparing to use another attack, spoke these words:
Caesar's Right to Rule the World
“Veni, Vidi, Vici !”
Saber broke the crown of laurels. At that moment, Sheol’s sword was enveloped in a dazzling
light that consumed the blade to dust. The whole dimension collapsed and Sheol gasped, speechless
and with an extremely frightened look. Everything that had made her powerful was gone in an
instant.
The two Servants were in front of the abbey and Sheol shook her head slowly; she still did not
believe it, she was unable to accept what had just happened.
“Now it’s time to bring the curtain down, Sheol!” Saber exclaimed.
“No... I can’t... I should’ve won and made you all a part of me! It’s not right... it’s not—but the
Grail is still active! Maybe I can...”
Sheol had something sinister in mind, Saber understood it immediately and in that moment a real
miracle happened, something that not even Sheol could explain, but which was probably due to the
Holy Grail: a golden light illuminated Saber’s hand and this light took the shape of a sword.

250
 Sheol didn’t want to believe it, but she immediately recognized that weapon... Saber recognized
it too and had the impression of seeing a girl close to her, a girl holding the sword with her: it was
Arthur Pendragon.
Saber raised the sword made of light and shouted its name:
The Light of the Two Caesars
“Excalibur !”
The slash of light struck Sheol.

CHAPTER 33
Alessandro saw Harumi Fukano. The girl, wrapped in a divine light, smiled at him and
disappeared, thanking for having freed her. The boy didn’t know what to say and couldn’t hold back
the tears, but he knew it wasn’t over; he still had to say goodbye to one last person.
“So... here we are,” Saber said with a sad smile.
“Yes, it’s...”
The Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil had come to an end. After all those deaths, it was finally over.
Sheol had disappeared and with her the souls walking around London; the flames were
extinguished, the sun was able to embrace a serene blue sky that dispelled the darkness of the night.
“I’m sorry, I’m good with goodbyes...”

251
 “It’s okay, Comrade, you don’t have to force yourself.”
Alessandro realized that Saber was disappearing, even she hadn’t noticed it and threw an
astonished look, it was as if she didn’t want to leave. Alessandro was calm, he approached her, took
her hands and said:
“Thank you for keeping your promise and thank you for making me... a better person. If it
wasn’t for you...”
“Comrade...” she said, blushing. “I haven’t done anything special. It was you who changed me.
You may not have realized it, but thanks to you I got something I never thought I could ever get:
love. For the first time in my life I fought not for myself but for someone else and I felt... good.”
“I...”
“You changed my life and if it weren’t for you, I would never have been able to understand my
mistakes and confront Arthur. It was you, Alessandro, who put me on this path.”
“I don’t think I’ve done anything like that, I mean—”
“Don’t be so modest.” She caressed him gently. “You are my new idol. You’re not a conqueror,
but you’re a savior. You’ve saved me from myself and for that you have my respect, my esteem
and my praise.”
Alessandro blushed, he would never have expected such a compliment. Saber kissed Alessandro
on the cheek and then hugged him. Alessandro returned the hug.
“One day you will blossom,” she said “that day I want to be by your side to see the man you’ll
become. And I know for sure that you’ll be a man who will make the right woman fall in love and
when that happens, I want to be by your side. I want to see your most beautiful smile.” She cried.
“Saber...!”
“Oh, it’s...” She couldn’t hold them back. “It’s just that I would’ve liked to spend more time with
you, Comrade.”
“We will... Caesar.”
She hugged Alessandro as if she didn’t want to let him go. The girl then went to his ear and
whispered something.
“Make good use of it, please,” she said.
“I will.”
Saber’s body was about to disappear completely. The girl separated from the boy and tried to
hide her sadness, failing. Alessandro, then, consoled her:
“One day we will meet again...”
“One day...”
“When we meet again I will greet you as Caesar, my friend.”
“Then I’ll wait for that moment, Comrade. Farewell, Alessandro Serpi.”
“Farewell, Gaius Julius Caesar.”
Saber disappeared.
Only silence remained.
Alessandro fell to his knees, put his hands over his eyes to try to hold back the tears, but his body
was trembling, his forehead was sweating, he just wanted to let it all out. He let himself be carried
away by that sea of sadness: he cried like a child. Friedrich approached him to give comfort.

The two boys were still in front of that abbey. Alessandro had cried all the tears he had to cry.
Friedrich was taking his guitar out of the car. They both knew it was time to part ways, but neither
of them had the courage to say it.
“What will you do, Alessandro?”
“I have to go back to Rome and completely close a part of my life. I have to do it, otherwise I
will be forever tormented by—”
“Do you want to fight the Coven?”
“No. They have nothing to do with it. It’s about... well, it’s personal... only by concluding this
story will I be able to say that I’m finally free. What about you?”

252
 “I... um... I think I’ll go to the United States then I’d like to maybe visit Mexico or maybe go to
South America... I have to see. I have the whole world at my disposal and it’s waiting for me. What
will you do after leaving Rome?”
“I decided to do something risky that could get me in trouble with some magi organizations.”
“What is it?” he asked worried.
“Caesar made me think about one thing: I can save people.” He smiled. “This is what I want to
do. I want to go around the world and use my Magecraft to save people. I want to help those in
need and I want to dedicate my life to others. In a way I’m responsible for everything that
happened in this war and the lives that Yukiko has broken, the least I can do is break this chain of
violence and make the world a better place.”
“Yours is a noble choice, Alessandro. But please be careful with the Coven and other
organizations.”
“Yes, I will... maybe one day we will meet again, my friend.”
“I’m counting on it. Consider me part of your new family.”
The two embraced.
Shortly thereafter they said goodbye one last time before taking different paths.
London had survived an apocalyptic war. Sheol had been defeated, Yukiko had been imprisoned
by the Coven and all the victims of the war had been avenged. The world was safe, but in front of
Friedrich there was a city that still wept for the war that had inhabited it. There were buildings
completely destroyed, there were still people suffering and terror continued to roam the streets
undisturbed. Ordinary people talked about terrorism, but they had no idea what they had risked.
Friedrich, looking at that sad panorama, was seized by a tragic inspiration and decided to tune
the guitar and play a song dedicated to the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil:
“♪ Look what you have done, ruined every single one. See what fools they are, jealous of a
simple star. Feel the four winds blow, let the sword hang low... life's to take, says the talking snake,
everybody should be happy... to tell the sucking truth, everybody's dreams get used. Twist me till I
drip, liquid of emotions ripped. Every hungry soul, hides a hungry fool... life's to take, says the
talking snake, everybody should be happy... ♪”18 He stopped the guitar strings and whispered,
“Everyone should be happy...”
Friedrich left.

February 8, 2021

Alessandro was in Rome. He rang a bell with the name ‘Luisa Benedetti’. The door was opened
by this woman in her fifties with blue eyes and brown hair. When the woman saw the boy, she
didn’t recognize him. Alessandro, without smiling, said to her:
“Hello Mom.”
“Alessandro...? Is that really you...?”
“Yes...”
“Oh, Alessandro!” She tried to hug him, but he took a few steps away. “Alessandro... are you
okay?”
“No, mom, I’m not.”
“Did you read my letter?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Then—”
“You hurt me, mom. I’ve suffered a lot during this period, but no wound can compare to the pain
you caused me when you left me in the hands of the Coven. You forgot that you have a child just
like my father and I’ve never suffered so much in my entire life. There’s nothing worse than being
betrayed by your family. You hurt me, mom, but I’m not here to take revenge, but to ask you never

18
Talking Snake from the album Beat Em Up (2001) by Iggy Pop.

253
to talk to me again. You killed me when you forsaken me, and I’ve no reason to keep you alive in
my heart. Those years we spent together were beautiful, but you destroyed everything and it’s
useless to pretend that nothing happened.”
“But I—”
“That letter you sent me was painful to see and now I finally know why: because you’re trying to
rebuild something that you’ve destroyed yourself. But that’s not how it works. You can’t break
people’s hearts and then put things right as if nothing had happened. I’m not a thing, I’m not an
object... and I’m not your son.”
“So, you hate me.”
“No. I don’t hate you. I feel nothing for you. Rejoice, I gave you what you wanted: a life without
a son. Goodbye.”
The mother ran after her son, grabbed him by the arm and cried out in tears:
“I promise you I’ll solve everything, Alessandro! I’ll get you out of the Coven and—”
“I’m already out, mom.”
“What are you doing then?”
He turned to her.
He smiled at her.
“Everything. I’m free.”
He left, taking off the last chain.

THE END

Written and thought by: YKIR

Artworks by: BikoWolf
Edited by: YKIR
Translated by: YKIR

This work belongs to the author. Please do not copy or sell this work.

254