Avalon was something Emiya Shirou absolutely had to obtain.
He didn't intend to participate in the Fourth Holy Grail War as a Master, but he would intervene—
He would become one of the hidden hands behind the scenes.
After the war, during the Great Fire in Fuyuki, he would disguise himself as a wounded child.
If things unfolded as expected, Kiritsugu Emiya would rescue him—
And through that, he would acquire Avalon.
That was the plan so far.
---
Shirou threw off his blanket and got out of bed.
Today, he would return to the Clock Tower to continue his studies in magecraft.
A luxurious car waited to take him there.
Inside, the driver—one of the Yorifis family's magi—glanced nervously at Shirou from time to time.
Sweat beaded on his forehead.
> To share a car alone with a "demon god"… was nothing short of psychological torment.
Only when they finally reached the Clock Tower and Shirou stepped out of the car did the driver finally exhale in relief.
For the entire trip, he'd been convinced he would die at any moment—
That the next second, his head would be separated from his body.
> "Am I really that terrifying?"
Shirou asked himself aloud, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
He stood at the car door, watching the driver.
To the magus behind the wheel, the red-haired six-year-old's smile looked less like innocence and more like a devil grinning through the flames of hell.
The man shivered uncontrollably, stammering:
> "P-Please, my lord… d-don't kill me!"
A chill ran down his spine as if death itself had whispered into his ear.
> "What a coward."
Shirou muttered and walked off, deciding not to tease the man any further.
Only when Shirou disappeared from sight did the driver let out a long, trembling breath—
His back completely soaked in sweat.
---
Compared to the modern steel-and-glass buildings around it, the Clock Tower felt almost ancient.
That was no design choice—
It was simply old.
Very, very old.
---
Modern structures surrounded it—
Buildings of concrete, steel, and transparent glass gave the area an industrial yet distinctly London-esque vibe.
The Clock Tower was the stronghold of Western European magecraft.
Nearly 90% of Western mages affiliated with it over rival factions like the outdated Wandering Sea.
The Clock Tower welcomed all, regardless of nationality or lineage.
Officially, it was a cooperative organization of mages who sought knowledge.
Unofficially?
It regulated and concealed magecraft from the world.
It developed magical research, maintained military power to protect itself from threats—
And passed laws to combat magical crime.
Its greatest rival?
The Church.
A holy organization that punished mages who violated taboos or meddled too deeply in heresy.
In essence, the Church and the Mage's Association were mortal enemies.
---
Shirou climbed the refined wooden staircase, flipping through a magecraft tome as he walked to class.
> Thunk!
A pen smacked him square in the forehead.
He paused, rubbing the back of his head.
There had been no killing intent, so he hadn't sensed it coming.
A girl in a white dress trimmed with sky-blue patterns passed him without looking back.
Elegant and poised, she looked every bit like a noble princess.
It was Lisephyr Animusphere.
Shirou sighed.
> Still holding a grudge, huh? It's been a week already…
This girl was unbelievably petty.
For a second, Shirou even regretted taking her seat.
…But then he dismissed the thought.
> Back row, window seat—the throne of kings.
That spot was never up for debate.
---
> "Today, we'll be heading to Albion's First Layer, the excavation city of Magisphia.
There, we'll study a large number of curse relics collected from deeper within Albion."
The instructor announced the day's lesson.
> "Albion…?"
Many students paled at the name.
> "Albion? I've always wanted to explore it!"
Lisephyr's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Shirou said nothing.
If it was just the First Layer, then it was relatively safe.
---
❖ The Spirit Tomb – Albion
Located beneath the Clock Tower, Albion was a massive, sprawling labyrinth of unknown depth.
Sometimes jokingly called the "Clock Pit", it was jointly owned by the Mage's Association.
Even now, the tomb remained largely unexplored.
Its sheer size defied belief—
Its depths, filled with mysteries yet to be unraveled.
Within it lay precious materials nearly impossible to find on the surface:
Dragon scales and fangs
Hydra larvae remains
Other rare, fantastical corpses
Even modern mages—the so-called "New Generation"—could rise to prominence if they secured enough high-value relics.
---
The tomb distorted time and space.
Its environment constantly shifted, and its atmosphere overflowed with raw mana.
Inside, lived numerous phantasm species, most of them deadly.
Even high-ranking magi had died exploring the deeper levels.
What lay within was not just dangerous—
It was entirely otherworldly.
---
Through a rift leading into the tomb, the class—escorted by their teacher—entered the First Layer, roughly 0 to 10 kilometers underground.
This was Magisphia, the excavation city.
An underground metropolis.
Ancient ruins and modern structures jutted out in chaotic harmony.
Because returning to the surface was difficult, many diggers had simply settled here—
Building a functioning society among the ruins.
Over time, the settlement became the First Layer's de facto city.
In a sense, it was another magical academic city.
Thanks to the radiance of massive mana crystals, most monsters avoided the area—
Which kept the city relatively safe.
Their instructor gave an introduction to Magisphia and the tomb itself.
---
During a break, Lisephyr slipped away from the group.
Shirou, curious, quietly followed.
She arrived at a sealed entrance leading to Albion's Second Layer, roughly 10 to 40 kilometers underground.
There, she began chanting. Her magic circuits lit up.
The magus stationed to guard the entrance collapsed, unconscious.
The guard wasn't particularly strong.
No one ever tried to sneak into the Second Layer—
That would be suicide.
No sane person would seek out death in such a place.
And true high-level magi had no reason to sneak. They could enter openly.
---
Shirou couldn't help but sigh.
> Her curiosity is out of control.
Or maybe she's just dangerously naive.
From the Second Layer onward, Albion became an entirely different world.
One filled with unspeakable dangers.
And she was about to walk into it alone.
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