The establishment of the Time Travelers Alliance began in the first year of Conan

Chapter 317 Tokiomi Tohsaka messed up again (Seeking monthly votes)
Fuyuki City, New Capital, 3:00 AM on the second day of the Holy Grail War.

The night was deep and still, all was quiet—no, this word "quiet" simply couldn't be applied to the Holy Grail War, or rather, the actions of the magicians.

Although it appears calm on the surface, on the other side of this world, every moment of the night is filled with a silent struggle.

The first real clash may not break out until dawn on the third day, but for those Masters who have already summoned their Servants, the battle has already begun.

For all Masters who have already summoned Servants.

Aside from Webber, who appeared to have fainted, Rider had no choice but to take him back to Martha's cabin.

And Kenneth, who was on a plane to the Far East with his fiancée and Lancer, brimming with absolute confidence in his abilities.

The other Masters have already begun gathering information.

In fact, this behavior may never have stopped from beginning to end.

For example, the Tohsaka Mansion, located on a hill in Fukayama Town.

Although Tokiomi's expression seemed calm, his heart was no longer as at ease as it had been at the beginning.

His slightly weary gaze fell upon his most trusted disciple.

—In three years, Kirei undoubtedly earned Tokiomi Tohsaka's trust.

"Qili, how is the spirit energy disc doing now?"

Kirei Kotomine bowed slightly and replied respectfully, "Besides Caster, the Servants of the Berserker, Rider, Saber, and Lancer classes have all appeared in the world."

"So, what about the familiars currently watching us—"

Before Tokiomi could finish speaking, a dark figure wearing a black night-cloak and a white skull mask appeared beside Kirei.

It's Assassin.

The Heroic Spirit summoned by Kirei Kotomine already knew about the relationship between the Master and Tokiomi.

She knelt on one knee and reported to Shichen with equal respect:

"Currently, we can confirm that there is a familiar's presence monitoring the area near the mansion. Based on my observation, it should be a bat."

“Is that so?” Tokiomi Tohsaka nodded. “Then you shall continue to monitor, Assassin. From now on, report to me immediately every time you detect a new familiar’s aura.”

"As ordered."

Assassin's figure transformed into a spirit and quietly dissipated into the air, and that magical aura vanished from the room.

But afterwards, a hint of worry unconsciously appeared on Tokiomi's expression.

Although he consistently adhered to the Tohsaka family's motto of "maintaining elegance," he was meticulous and flawless in his actions and conduct.

However, in the eyes of a few insiders, the Tohsaka family actually has a family heirloom skill called "failing at crucial moments".

Just like now, Tokiomi's plan has encountered some subtle unexpected events.

The Holy Grail War has already begun for two days, so why is there still only one familiar monitoring me?
……

In fact, after discovering that the Servant summoned by Kirei possessed a Noble Phantasm called "Delusion," Tokiomi Tohsaka and Kirei immediately devised a very advantageous plan.

That Noble Phantasm allows the wielder to separate their multiple personalities and act independently as a single individual.

Although if Assassin splits into too many individuals, it will cause each personality to have abnormally low abilities, but this has no impact.

The Assassin class of Heroic Spirits should ideally have the lowest stats among all classes.

Furthermore, Presence Concealment, the most important inherent skill of Assassins, is not affected by the split of Spirit Origin.

This trait would naturally lead someone to devise a plan to make Assassin "fake his death".

After all, what makes an assassin an assassin is their stealth and the danger that comes with it.

Moreover, for a simple magician, if caught off guard, even the weakest Heroic Spirit would likely be easily killed.

Of course, this plan has a crucial prerequisite.

That would be Assassin's "exit," which should be done under the watchful eyes of the other Masters; otherwise, this misleading would not have the desired effect.

Therefore, when designing this plan, Tokiomi also took into account the enemy Master's movements and the timing of summoning the Heroic Spirit.

During this period, he originally thought there should be at least three, maybe two, familiars monitoring his movements, especially the Matou family.

But in reality, there is only one.

Tokiomi had never heard of the Matou family being skilled at using familiars like bats.

According to his understanding, water-based magic should be more related to animals such as snakes or birds.

"Teacher, should we proceed with the plan as scheduled for the next steps?"

Kirei Kotomine's "just right" question broke Tokiomi's reverie, adding a touch of bitterness to his already worried expression.

Nevertheless, Tokiomi did not change his mind.

Not to mention that Tokiomi didn't like his plans being disrupted by unexpected factors. More importantly, he had already asked the "King of Kings" for a favor.

In order to fulfill the magician's long-cherished wish in this Holy Grail War and gain a sure victory, Tokiomi Tohsaka spent a lot of money to obtain the remains of the world's first snake.

The ancient "mystery" contained in the snake's remains also meant that the heroic spirit he finally summoned was exactly as he had predicted.

It was Gilgamesh, the legendary king from the Mesopotamian plain, one of the earliest kings in human history, and the earliest hero.

Unfortunately, that may have been another manifestation of his tendency to "drop the ball".

Because Gilgamesh's class is "Archer," which means he will be given an inherent skill called "Independent Action."

This skill allows him to act independently without a Master's mana supply.

While this reduces Tokiomi's magical burden on Gilgamesh, it also means that Servants will obviously have more autonomy.

It's important to understand that when the king learned that the plan Tokiomi had offered was a despicable scheme, akin to that of a conspirator, the "Hero King's" attitude could even be described as stubborn.

The magnificent golden armor and shimmering golden hair exuded a regal majesty that was almost suffocating, and a pair of blood-red pupils stared at Tokiomi with an overwhelming and oppressive gaze.

"Tokiomi, do you mean to make me put on a terrible show for you from the very beginning?"

Fortunately, Tokiomi eventually persuaded his spirit with a humble yet assertive attitude and reasonable advice.

"This is a way of making an example of someone to show the king's power. I believe that since then, no heroic spirit has dared to offend him easily."

"Let those beasts kill each other, and then choose from the victors the beasts worthy of your own hunt."

Tokiomi's words sparked a faint interest in Gilgamesh's eyes.

The golden figure finally agreed, then transformed into spirit particles and dissipated in the room, leaving only the final words of the Hero King.

"I hope the beast you've chosen will satisfy me. If it doesn't in the end—"

"Tokiomi, you must bear the wrath of this king."

……

But now, there is only one familiar.

Tokiomi Tohsaka didn't want to imagine the consequences if the King of Heroes eventually found himself condescending and gaining nothing.

He let out a deep sigh, and a sense of absurdity even welled up within Tokiomi—

Did the other participants really believe they would win and therefore have no precautions against the Tohsaka family?
But he ultimately did not show his anxiety to his disciples.

"Maintain elegance."

Tokiomi silently reminded himself not to let these minor changes affect his composure and decision-making.

He cleared his throat and turned his gaze back to Kirei Kotomine, who stood as still as a wooden sculpture.

"Considering that Caster has not yet appeared, let's wait another day, Kirei."

Tokiomi's voice regained its aristocratic confidence and composure.

"Tomorrow night, have Assassin act according to plan."

As for whether Gilgamesh would agree to wait, Tokiomi was not worried.

Although the arrogance and haughtiness of the King of Heroes often gave Tokiomi headaches when he was in command, he knew that since he treated him with the respect due to a "subject," the king would never break his promise.

Moreover, that king might still be "leisurely strolling" on some street at this moment.

In Gilgamesh's words—

"This world is ugly and disgusting, yet it also has some lovely aspects."

Tokiomi couldn't understand why the present world seemed to have such a great attraction for that Heroic Spirit.

Was that place called an arcade really that interesting to that king?
Just before Kirei was about to take his leave, Tokiomi suddenly called out to him as if he had remembered something.

"And what about the Matou family? Didn't Assassin report yesterday that there were some issues at the Matou residence?"

"So far, is there still no other news?"

To be honest, the fact that the Matou family was probably the first to have problems is the most surprising.

In the Holy Grail War, the three founding families that constitute the Holy Grail system obviously have the highest chance of winning.

Aside from the Einzbern family, who repeatedly failed in the Holy Grail War because of their expertise in "homogeneous technology."

Tokiomi Tohsaka has always believed that, apart from the monarch from the Clock Tower, the greatest threat is the Matou family.

However, according to Assassin's report, on the night the Heroic Spirit was summoned, a large amount of dust rose in the area where the Matou residence was located.

It must be said that Yan Ye's hateful attack at that time was incredibly powerful.

That terrifying magic, under the madness filled with resentment, transformed into pure raging storm, and even the air itself was ionized and emitted a burnt smell due to the tearing effect of that magic.

Those four or five walls, along with everything in those spaces, turned to dust.

The torrent, mixed with cement dust, wood chips, and steel scraps, only stopped when it crashed into the most powerful protective barrier in the Matou residence, which could be called a "great magic trick."

The dust Assassin saw was the terrifying scene of things being swept up and deflected into the sky by magic.

If the wind hadn't been quite strong that night, the huge cloud of dust that drifted into the sky might have been visible until dawn.

After the storm, the Matou family mansion resembled a precious painting after its destruction.

Those solemn and magnificent mansions and courtyards now look as if a straight line has been drawn vertically with a brush dipped in mud.

The straight crack, like a split in the earth, was deep and conspicuous, enough to make anyone who saw it tremble with fear at its terrifying destructive power.

After that, Tokiomi questioned the head of the Matou family, both to gather intelligence on the enemy and because of what was called "family ties".

After all, although the two families are competitors in this Holy Grail War, his daughter is still living at the Matou residence.

"Although the head of the Matou family replied that it was just due to the summoned Heroic Spirit trying to use its Noble Phantasm..."

Tokiomi's words were cold, clearly showing that he had no faith in this explanation whatsoever.

"If it was a Heroic Spirit summoned by the Matou family, there would be no reason for it to target their own workshop."

"Teacher, do you suspect that the Matou family's Heroic Spirits have gone out of control?"

"Assassin believes it is some kind of resentment or madness, and perhaps that heroic spirit will cause great destruction in the future."

Tokiomi nodded slightly, his words filled with worry.

"After all, if it's just a restrained beast, it won't violate the rules of the Holy Grail War. But if the Matou family's Master can't restrain Berserker—"

"It might cause us a lot of trouble."

As is widely known, although gas accidents occur frequently in Fuyuki City, the Holy Grail War is a clandestine war in which the Holy Grail selects seven Masters who are determined to have their wishes fulfilled to fight each other.

more importantly--

As the manager of the Fuyuki City ley lines, Tokiomi Tohsaka must take responsibility for this matter if he doesn't want to be antagonized by the entire magic world.

He only has three Command Seals.

Judging from the attitude shown by that "Hero King", he is definitely not someone who would be willing to take the initiative to resolve the matter in advance.

With another heavy sigh, Tokiomi wondered why so many unexpected events had occurred in this Holy Grail War.

"In any case, Kirei, I will have my familiar visit you again after dawn today."

"If the Matou family doesn't want the Holy Grail War to be taken seriously by the Clock Tower or the Church, they should be careful not to overstep their bounds."

……

Of course, Tokiomi Tohsaka's guess was clearly completely wrong.

In reality, Zouken Matou had already decided to give up on the Fourth Holy Grail War.

The magician's primary objective has now completely shifted to investigating the true identity of Lancelot, the being summoned by Kariya.

Because, after yesterday's attack, the terrifying power that Kariya displayed in his anger made Zouken finally realize the seriousness of the problem.

That terrifying performance...

That amazing magic...

Zouken was certain that the heroic spirit summoned by Kariya could not possibly be Berserker.

Immediately afterwards, the magician realized how terrifying that [Heroic Spirit] was.

As one of the creators of the Holy Grail System, Zouken Matou was well aware that Kariya's attributes when facing him were definitely above average, reaching EX level. But that was merely due to a disguised Noble Phantasm casually tossed out by that Heroic Spirit!

Recalling the strange fluctuations on Kariya's face before he transformed into Berserker, and the posture he displayed when he collapsed to the ground afterwards.

Even this ancient magician, who had lived for hundreds of years, couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

"If... if that terrifying, even nearly limitless, magical power was merely an item casually given away by that [Heroic Spirit], no, just that [thing]..."

A deep, hoarse voice, carrying a hint of unease, echoed in the newly established workshop.

"Matou Kariya... what exactly did he summon?"

In fact, if one wasn't certain that there was indeed a magical power within Matou Kariya that was subtly connected to the Greater Grail, one might not even realize it.

Zouken is probably trying to meet the conditions written in the [Self-Control Certificate], and then abandoning Matou Sakura and running away.

As for monitoring other Masters...

Now that the Matou family has an absolute grasp on victory, there is clearly no need to monitor the so-called Tohsaka family as in the original story.

In that dark and damp workshop, Zouken Matou let out a strange, cackling laugh, his cold eyes revealing a hint of inexplicable excitement.

This old man with a twisted sense of humor couldn't bear to see the tragic fates of other Masters and Servants.

Moreover, compared to figuring out the true nature of that terrifying [Heroic Spirit], everything else is completely unimportant.

"after all……"

Zouken Matou couldn't help but murmur aloud, witnessing the terrifying power and state of countless [Matou Kariya] overlapping together.

"A heroic spirit who can manipulate time... what could possibly defeat him?"

After Matou Kariya awoke, he and Matou Sakura were immediately greeted with heartfelt concern and care from Zouken.

As for Kariya's undisguised disgust and doubt towards him, Zouken didn't care at all, and instead accepted this emotion.

After all, this old insect was willing to give up everything to prolong its life.

In Zouken's view, the one who can make a wish with the Holy Grail must now be that Heroic Spirit.

In fact, Zouken was already trying to figure out if he could become the Master of that [Heroic Spirit].

Although he still doesn't know the true identity of that [Heroic Spirit], Zouken has already decided to "join" him.

This magician knew that every Heroic Spirit who responded to the Holy Grail had a wish they wanted to fulfill.

"Therefore, as long as I tell that the only person who can make a wish is that the Command Seals system's greatest function is actually to make him commit suicide..."

"And that guy Kariya, he only wastes his wishes to save Sakura, but I can grant him that right away."

"And all I ask for is eternal life."

In fact, Zouken had already made up his mind.

Even if one cannot immediately obtain eternal life, it would be enough to reverse one's state to that of a hundred years ago and restore oneself to one's youth.

Considering that Kariya's face contorted at that moment, revealing a familiar "baby" face, Zouken felt that this was very likely.

After all, Kariya hasn't used a Command Seal yet!

"The effect of the three-stroke command spell is more than enough!"

All I can say is that, if we disregard the identity of that "Heroic Spirit," this incredibly astute and adaptable individual has actually found a path acceptable to all three parties.

Now, Zouken Matou's pupils revealed a clear fanaticism.

This is understandable, given that the magician is named Zouken Matou, or rather, Machiri Zorgen.

When he was young, he was arguably many times stronger than he is now.

He even thought about it on a deeper level.

"If only I could find out the true name of that heroic spirit, and make him leave behind the corresponding relics."

If someone with Matou Kariya's inferior aptitude can summon him, then the [Heroic Spirit] he summoned in his youthful form would likely be even more powerful.

Win a Holy Grail War?
No, no.

Now, Zouken's greed has swelled to the point that he wants to make the Holy Grail a wish-granting machine exclusively for the Matou family.

"Once we find the name of that heroic spirit... we'll know what he wants... and then we can make a deal..."

Ever since discovering the clues about Yan Ye, the old man has been working hard in this direction.

Of course, the progress of Zangyan in this regard is very slow.

Because generally speaking, time should be the domain of the "gods".

However, a "god-level" spirit origin is theoretically impossible to summon through the Holy Grail system.

"A human heroic spirit with a legend of 'manipulating time,' and also related to [Lancelot]..."

Zouken Matou placed the book he had finished searching, "British Mythology," on the table beside him.

"Could someone with fairy or elf blood be the one who could make Lancelot appear in a berserk state?"

"Or something similar, an entity that influenced people's minds, and is described in later generations as having manipulated time?"

For the first time, this magician was distressed that his 500-year experience was insufficient.

He had almost exhausted all the legends about that land of Britain, but there was really none that could be considered a reasonable target.

In his heart, Zouken sighed at his fickle fate—

Considering the changes in Kariya's body, things he had been searching for for hundreds of years were sometimes within easy reach of some lucky people.

He put down the ancient book in his hand, deciding to wait until lunchtime to probe further with Yan Ye and that child, Ying.

……

Unlike Kiritsugu, who only set off for Fuyuki City in the early hours of the second day of the Holy Grail War.

As Kiritsugu's most capable assistant, Hisau Maiya arrived in Fuyuki City early on to make preliminary preparations for the Holy Grail War.

This assistant to Kiritsugu Emiya has known him for over ten years.

She was initially rescued by Kiritsugu in a war-torn country, and was later given the name "Kuu Maiya" for the first time.

As for their relationship...

Master and apprentice? Lovers? Beloved?

In reality, this didn't mean much to the woman who believed everything she owned belonged to Kiritsugu.

Questioning her whether she loves Kiritsugu Emiya is like questioning whether the internal organs love the brain.

Perhaps, "Emiya Kiritsugu" is the most fitting name for her, as it is both an extension and a tool of her existence.

Kiritsugu clearly made the most of his resources.

He taught Maiya magic and led her onto the path of "saving the world."

In the magic taught by Kiritsugu, Maiya displayed extraordinary talent in manipulating low-level familiars.

For this reason, Kiritsugu often entrusted her with tasks of reconnaissance and investigation.

This includes using bat familiars to monitor the Tohsaka mansion.

However, unlike other magicians, Kiritsugu usually enjoys combining modern technology with magic when he acts as a magician.

This is clearly a significant advantage compared to simply using magic.

For example, the magic trick that Kirei has been using is called "Shared Perception".

Although this type of magic allows the caster to link with their familiar through a magic circuit and obtain a corresponding perspective from a distance.

But obviously you can only observe by following the familiar itself.

Also, if you can't see the picture clearly for any reason, then obviously this "reconnaissance" will be fruitless.

At Kiritsugu's suggestion, Maiya's bat familiar usually has a small CCD camera hanging on its abdomen.

This is also why Assassin discovered the bat hanging upside down in that tall tree that overlooked the Tohsaka mansion.

But the advantage is that it's not just the eyes of the envoy.

You can retrieve the footage taken by the camera afterward and analyze it carefully.

Before Kiritsugu joined her, Maiya was examining footage recorded yesterday by another familiar—the footage of the Matou family.

When she saw the scene that resembled a natural disaster, this woman, who could be described as cold-hearted, felt a rare sense of worry.

But Maimi quickly cut off those inappropriate emotions.

As Kiritsugu Emiya's weapon, what she needs to do is follow Kiritsugu's plan.

After turning off the TV connected to the recorder, Maiya used the surveillance cameras she had previously placed to double-check that no one was paying attention to the room next to a small alley at the end of the street.

Then, she deftly opened the window and climbed to the end of the alley.

Soon, a woman dressed in casual clothes walked out of the deserted alley.

After confirming that there were no unexpected issues with the links to several familiars, she now went to retrieve a weapon that could help Kiritsugu.

In fact, apart from one weapon, most of the weapons Kiritsugu marked had already been shipped out from the warehouse at the Fuyuki City dock.

A Walther WA2000 semi-automatic sniper rifle.

It is paired with two scopes about the size of mineral water bottles.

These are the US military's latest AN/PVS04, capable of seeing a distance of 500 meters under moonlight with 3.6x magnification.

And a thermal imaging sight on the side, which can detect temperature changes between -5 and 60 degrees Celsius.

Then there are conventional weapons such as M950 submachine guns, C4 bombs, and hand grenades.

This is quite surprising. Many of the magicians killed by Kiritsugu actually perished from physical attacks that were hundreds of meters away and lacked magical power.

After all, most magicians, confined to the realm of "magic," would find it difficult to "understand" a distance that is roughly more than a street away.

Perhaps they were just walking down an ordinary street when a gleaming mirror on a building behind them appeared, and then a bullet would end their lives.

As for magicians who can make thorough preparations to avoid all kinds of explosions and physical attacks.

That would require the use of something called a "Mystic Code," which is a weapon that magicians usually use.

For the "Magician Killer," the magician's attire is himself.

Do you remember the origin of "fire" and "earth" for Kiritsugu Emiya?
He removed the left and right ribs from his first and second pairs, ground them into powder, and finally loaded them into forty-nine bullets as cores.

This is the most terrifying move of this "Magician Killer"—a weapon known as the "Origin Bullet".

The familiar origins of "cutting off" and "connecting" often lead to more thorough damage when "repairing" "precision equipment".

Clearly, a magician's "magic circuit" also falls under the category of "precision equipment".

When a magician's spell comes into contact with the Origin Bullet, this property of "arbitrarily cutting and repairing" will interfere with the caster himself along with Kiritsugu's "origin".

Simply put, it has a complete magic-breaking attribute.

If you get hit, even if you're lucky enough to survive, you'll probably have to say goodbye to the magic world.

But this killer move for magicians unexpectedly failed to arrive on time today.

This is clearly not right.

After all, compared to those terrifying modern weapons of mass destruction, Kiritsugu's Mystic Code is more like an antique firearm.

With the help of the Einzbern family's influence, the transfer of these antiques should actually be the easiest part.

"It was stopped by Fuyuki City customs because gunpowder and traces of use were detected..."

Maiya stood outside the steel fence, calmly surveying the area ahead.

She glanced at the detailed map of the location that her client had sent from the black market. Considering that Kiritsugu would arrive to meet her in a few hours, she finally decided to use a faster method first.

They simply stole the gun and the bullets.

Clearly, at this moment, this self-proclaimed "magician" "thief" made a mistake—

That is to look down on ordinary people.

If it were Kiritsugu, he would certainly be vigilant and keenly aware of some anomalies hidden behind this matter.

For example, this is clearly a trap.

He might even try to independently gather intelligence in the chaotic areas of Fuyuki City.

Then, Kiritsugu, observing the rapidly decreasing crime rate in Fuyuki City, keenly perceives a terrifying truth—

The master of Fuyuki City may have changed.

However, the urgency of time caused Maiya to overlook this fatal detail.

Just like now, she has already "drilled into" the net set up by the league.

(End of this chapter)