Shirou Emiya gently set the black sword back down.
He turned his attention to the other relics and magical weapons stored in the vault—
long swords, sabers, short daggers, bizarre-looking items, and countless relics whose purposes were unclear.
Luvreyus had thought the young "lord" would select a few items to bring with him.
But to his surprise, Shirou didn't take a single thing.
Then again, with the discerning eye of someone like him,
how could any of these relics possibly catch his interest?
Unbeknownst to Luvreyus, however, Shirou was beaming with joy inside.
He had already committed all these relics and weapons to memory.
Because none of them were divine constructs, he could perfectly replicate them using projection.
And with items like swords, projection would even result in a significant boost in quality compared to typical imitations.
---
Clock Tower
Only ten minutes remained before the end of the day.
Lisephyr Animusphere rested her chin in her hands, eyes distant.
She had been like this the whole day, attracting many side glances—though none dared provoke her.
> "Why didn't Shirou come to the Clock Tower today?
Did something happen to him?"
That thought had been swirling in Lisephyr's mind all day.
Since their first class together, Shirou had never been absent or late.
But today, their teacher announced that for special reasons, Shirou would not be attending for a while.
As for how long "a while" meant—days? Weeks? Months? No one knew.
---
Yorifis Family Estate
> "Found it! A spell to alter vocal tone!"
Shirou exclaimed in delight, having discovered an old tome describing a voice-modifying spell.
Wrapped in his black cloak, hidden behind a mask,
no one would recognize him.
No one would guess what lay beneath that shrouded figure.
Suddenly—
> Knock, knock, knock!
A knock came at the door.
> "Come in."
Shirou frowned slightly.
A magus from the Yorifis family stepped in.
> "My lord, Miss Lisephyr Animusphere is here to see you."
The magus spoke cautiously.
> "Lisephyr?"
Shirou scratched his head with a sigh.
> "Let her in."
He quickly stashed away his black cloak and enchanted mask, filled with intricate magical circuits.
Soon, Lisephyr entered, dressed in a gorgeous long gown that radiated elegance and nobility.
> "Shirou!"
Her eyes lit up the moment she saw him, her tone bright and cheerful.
In her hands, she held a small box, though its contents were unknown.
> "Lisephyr? What brings you here?"
Shirou smiled and asked.
> "Shirou, did something happen? I heard you're not attending Clock Tower classes for a while."
She stared at him without blinking.
> "Can I take that to mean you're worried about me?"
At his teasing, Lisephyr's face turned as red as a ripe apple.
> "Hmph! I—I'm not worried about you! W-Who would be worried about you!?"
Her voice trembled slightly with embarrassment.
> "Such a classic tsundere. Is it really that hard to admit you're concerned about me?"
Shirou chuckled inwardly but decided to explain.
> "I need to go to Fuyuki City for a while. Nothing serious. I'll be back soon."
Lisephyr blinked, then seemed to consider something before asking:
> "Can I come with you? I've never been to Fuyuki. It sounds like fun!"
> "This isn't a vacation, lady…"
Shirou sighed inwardly, shaking his head.
> "Lisephyr, I'm not going there for sightseeing."
She looked a bit disappointed, but then extended the small box in her hands.
> "Here! This is a mini phone! With this, we can talk anytime!"
Shirou accepted it.
Eventually, Lisephyr climbed into a luxury car and left the Yorifis estate.
He opened the box. Inside was a compact cellphone—
an older, button-based model, what some might call a "grandma phone."
Still, in this era, such a stylish device was very expensive, the kind only noble families could afford.
He powered it on.
The phone had only the most basic functions: calling and texting.
In the contacts list, there was only one entry:
"The Cutest Lisephyr" — naturally edited in by Lisephyr herself.
---
Fuyuki City
Inside a private villa, a quiet meeting was underway.
Kirei Kotomine's father, Risei Kotomine, sat across from Tokiomi Tohsaka.
Though nearing eighty, Risei still carried an air of calm authority, while Tokiomi—his junior—remained elegant and composed.
> "As the head of the Tohsaka family, I will participate in this Holy Grail War."
Tokiomi raised his right hand.
Three Command Seals glowed upon the back of it.
He carried the poise of a nobleman and the commanding presence of a true magus.
Kirei looked at him curiously.
This man had introduced himself openly as a magus, a term that might've sounded normal—
if not for the fact that both Kirei and his father were priests.
The Holy Church, after all, was an organization dedicated to condemning and erasing miracles and mysteries,
labeling them heretical.
The Church and the Mage's Association were traditional enemies.
Yet Tokiomi was completely open about his identity.
> "What exactly are Servants? How are they summoned? How does one fight with them?"
Kirei admitted he knew little about the Grail War.
> "Summoning heroic spirits may seem absurd," Tokiomi began,
"But for the Holy Grail, this is a trivial feat.
From as recent as a few centuries ago to as ancient as myth,
any Heroic Spirit can be summoned.
Seven Spirits, each paired with a Master, tasked with eliminating all other participants.
That… is the Holy Grail War."
> "This scale of warfare—can it really happen in a city full of civilians like Fuyuki?"
Kirei asked, frowning.
Both the Mage's Association and the Church went to great lengths to remain hidden,
especially in this era where science ruled supreme.
> "Indeed. But all battles in the Holy Grail War are conducted in secrecy.
That's the unspoken law.
Thus, a Supervisor is required."
At last, Risei Kotomine spoke.
The Holy Grail War, held once every sixty years, was now entering its Fourth iteration.
By the time of the Second War, Fuyuki had already become a modern city.
So beginning with the Third War, the Holy Church was asked to provide a neutral Supervisor—
to control the damage, keep civilians unaware, and ensure that magi fought according to the established rules.
Because the Mage's Association was rife with politics and family alliances,
they couldn't be trusted to remain impartial.
Thus, despite being adversaries, the Church was the best option for enforcing neutrality.