Above Fuyuki City, a unique barrier enveloped the sky.
This barrier was erected ten years ago, just after the conclusion of the Fourth Holy Grail War.
With just a single wave of a hand, the vast barrier was instantly constructed.
Even the current Fuyuki City was rebuilt within the confines of this very barrier.
The barrier's defining characteristic was its ability to repel spirits.
All spiritual disasters fell within its defensive scope—ghosts, curses, even Servants were barred from entering or exiting the barrier.
Every spiritual calamity was kept outside Fuyuki City.
As a result, in the years since the new Fuyuki City was established, not a single spiritual disaster had occurred.
Ghosts and curses had never appeared in Fuyuki City. The most common disasters, aside from the occasional siege by magical beasts, were the sporadic appearances of man-eating demons.
Among these demons, there were said to be beings known as the Twelve Demon Moons, whose power was terrifying enough that even ordinary magi stood no chance against them. Wherever they appeared, tragedy inevitably followed.
However, the stronghold of these man-eating demons was primarily around Misaki City, and demons of the Twelve Demon Moons' caliber rarely ventured into Fuyuki City.
Thus, the most frequent threat to Fuyuki City was the siege of magical beasts.
Thanks to the large number of magi stationed there, ordinary magical beasts couldn't cause much damage, and even phantasmal species-level beasts had only appeared a handful of times.
Because of this, among Japan's four major fortress cities, Fuyuki was considered the safest, second only to Misaki City.
The reason Misaki City was hailed as the safest was because it was home to an incredibly fearsome witch.
Rumour had it that the Demon King now lurking in Misaki City had once dared to set foot in Misaki's territory, only to flee like a mouse spotting a cat, vanishing without a trace that very day.
Since then, that Demon King had never dared to target Misaki City again.
Though Misaki City also had a troublesome Mystic Eye user, compared to the witch—who seemed like something out of a fairy tale, bizarre and fantastical—the Mystic Eye user was far easier to deal with.
At the very least, if the Demon King hid well enough and kept his head down, the Mystic Eye user wouldn't find him.
But if he ventured into Misaki City, no matter where he hid—even if he buried himself underground—the witch would dig him out, drag him up, and beat him senseless.
But back to the main topic.
The spirit-repelling barrier over Fuyuki City was erected by the Second Magician, Zelretch, the Wizard Marshal, who personally came to the ruins of old Fuyuki City ten years ago to set it up.
Thanks to this barrier, not only were ghosts and curses kept out, but even the corrupted Servants were barred from entering Fuyuki City.
Back then, after the corrupted Servants helped the black mud conquer the world, they returned to Japan and immediately headed for Fuyuki City—their goal, undoubtedly, was the Greater Grail.
Yet they were blocked by the spirit-repelling barrier.
Left with no other choice, they could only wander the wilderness of Japan.
Now, with the Fifth Holy Grail War on the horizon, the corrupted Servants had begun converging on Fuyuki City from all corners of Japan, creating the current crisis.
Needless to say, their goal remained the Greater Grail.
But as long as the spirit-repelling barrier stood, Fuyuki City could rest easy, continuing to feast and drink without a care in the world.
At least, that was what the old fossils of the Mage's Association believed.
After a night of investigation through their familiars, the magi under their command had confirmed that the figures outside Fuyuki City were indeed the corrupted Servants—five of the six, no less.
Yet they remained unshaken.
So what if they were Servants? Weren't they still spiritual bodies?
As long as they were spiritual bodies, there was no way they could breach Fuyuki's spirit-repelling barrier.
"Disaster! The spirit-repelling barrier has been breached!"
"Nonsense!"
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"A barrier erected by a Magician couldn't possibly fail!"
Thus, when their subordinates rushed in with the panicked report, the old fossils of the Association erupted in denial.
Every one of them wore expressions of utter disbelief.
A barrier created by a Magician, failing? How could such a thing happen?
They must be under some collective illusion magecraft!
Otherwise, how could they be having such a ridiculous nightmare?
"The city hall has issued a summons!"
At that moment, another subordinate magus arrived, clutching a document.
"Mayor Rin Tohsaka of Fuyuki City has called for all Masters who have already summoned Servants to gather at the city hall to discuss countermeasures against the corrupted Servants outside the city!"
"Damn that girl! How dare she bypass us and summon the Masters on her own!"
They were furious.
They had long considered the Greater Grail their personal property.
The Masters and Servants chosen by the Greater Grail should rightfully be under the Mage's Association's control.
Due to the curses infesting it, the Greater Grail could no longer be safely approached.
Anyone who came into contact with it would inevitably be plagued by curses—curses that could never be fully eradicated, only endlessly suppressed, tormenting both mind and body without respite.
Even high-ranking magi of the Association couldn't endure such relentless suffering.
Thus, the only way for the various magus families of the Association to pursue their interests was to utilize the Greater Grail's own mechanisms—to exploit the Masters and Servants it selected.
Whether it was expanding their family's influence or pursuing magecraft from the Age of Gods, everything could be achieved through the Masters and Servants.
Yet Rin Tohsaka had beaten them to it!
"What's the current situation? How long has it been since the summons was issued?"
"Half a day. Given how well-connected magi are, word has probably spread by now."
"Damn it! Why didn't you report this sooner?!"
"Honestly, I never imagined you wouldn't already know about something like this…"
The subordinate magus muttered under his breath.
These old fossils were so consumed by infighting and their obsessive pursuit of magecraft—dreaming of one day reaching the Root—that they barely paid attention to anything else.
What era did they think this was? Still scheming like this?!
"Monitor every move from the city hall!"
"Yes!"
"What about Bazett? She's the only Master the Mage's Association has in this Holy Grail War. We absolutely cannot allow her to side with the city hall!"
"Uh… she was the first to head to the city hall…"
***
The city hall, located in the center of Fuyuki City near the Fuyuki Bridge, had become the focal point of countless eyes.
Since the summons was issued, familiars had been gathering from all directions, perching around the city hall, observing its every movement.
Some belonged to magus families aligned with the Mage's Association, while others were independent magi.
But regardless of affiliation, all were closely watching the developments of this Holy Grail War.
Under the surveillance of countless familiars, the first to arrive at the city hall was a striking woman in a maroon suit—Bazett.
Her complexion was somewhat pale, as if she had recently recovered from a serious illness, but her demeanor completely overshadowed this fragility. She radiated an air of decisive action, her steel-like physique and will leaving no room for weakness, earning nothing but admiration.
***
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