Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover

"Excuse me... Is this Mr. Mackenzie's residence?"

"Yes, the owner here is indeed named Mackenzie."

"Um... Is there someone here called Alexander the Great, the Conqueror... sir...?"

"That would be me."

"...Oh, I see. Haha... Ah, please sign here to confirm receipt."

"Need to sign? Alright, I've received it."

"Thank you for your cooperation. I'll... be going now."

"Mm, take care."

***

In the familiar second-floor bedroom of the Mackenzie residence, which felt as much like home as his own, Waver Velvet woke from his sleep.

Dark circles under his eyes made him look like a panda, his black hair as messy as the draft papers on his desk, showing clear signs of overwork—truly, a glimpse of his future self at such a young age.

At this moment, Waver was still groggy. He had once again dreamed of that strange scene—a sky without clouds, a land without wind, a desolate coastline that seemed like the endless sea at the edge of the world.

The sound of waves rose and fell, a melody of the distant sea that only those who had reached the ends of the earth could appreciate.

For Waver, the dream felt incredibly peculiar, as if it were a memory he had no recollection of, yet it was so vivid, as though he were peeking into someone else's memories.

Without a doubt, these were Rider's memories—not just those of the Servant formed from magical energy, but of the Conqueror King himself, who had trampled countless lands, now seated among the heroic spirits.

At that moment, Waver suddenly realized that he hadn't heard the usual earth-shaking snores from nearby this morning.

Waver forcefully threw off the blanket and looked around. Rider, who should have been sleeping on the floor, was nowhere to be seen. He hated spiritualization, so he wouldn't have vanished without reason. Even if he had, Waver would have at least been able to sense the Servant's presence. But Rider wasn't in the room.

Heavy footsteps echoed from the staircase in the hallway.

The familiar weight of those footsteps had initially put Waver at ease, but when he realized what they meant, his expression turned exasperated.

"Oh, you're awake, boy."

Rider's massive figure slowly entered through the door, holding a small package neatly addressed: "To Alexander the Great, Conqueror, Mackenzie Residence, 2-2-8 Nakagami, Miyama-cho, Fuyuki City." The sender was "Character Goods Specialty Namba Store."

"Rider..." Waver groaned, his voice almost a sigh.

This was already the second time the big guy had taken money from his pocket without permission, ordered something online, and gone out to pick it up—all within two days. During this time, Waver had been frantically trying to make up for his reckless entry into the Holy Grail War, which he knew nothing about, while also formulating strategies and preparing for the battles ahead. He was so exhausted he felt like his tongue was hanging out.

While it was commendable that he had snapped out of his foolishness, the glimpse of reality he had seen afterwards didn't leave him any room to breathe. To achieve victory, Waver had to squeeze every second out of these forty-eight hours, trying to keep up with the other Masters.

And yet, his own Servant kept causing him trouble. Waver was terrified that one day, while lying peacefully in bed, a Servant or Master would sneak in and finish him off.

"Boy, lighten up. Don't be so paranoid."

The muscle-bound idiot beside him said, slapping Waver on the back with a force that nearly turned the skinny boy into a paste.

"In war, a strategist's plans are important, but the real victory is always decided by the sword. Speaking of which, we haven't gone out in two days. My Gordius Wheel is getting restless."

"Alright, alright, we'll go out today..."

Waver replied weakly. Just then, a deep, distant explosion echoed in his ears.

But it wasn't an explosion—it was a pulse, a magical surge that resonated with Waver's instincts as a magus. In other words, it was a magical signal.

This was the Holy Church's summons to all Masters.

***

Holy Church.

"Abnormal magical energy readings detected in the Mount Enzou area, with some objects showing signs of spiritualization? Understood. It must be the Greater Grail reacting to the presence of a new Servant, especially since Lancer was eliminated last night. The cause is unknown, but... it's still within controllable limits. Increase surveillance."

After hanging up the call, the old priest sighed and rubbed his temples, trying to ease his weary mind.

As the overseer of this Holy Grail War, Risei Kotomine hadn't slept for two days.

The battle at the warehouse district had disrupted logistics and supply chains for several companies, and the timed explosion at the Hyatt Hotel had nearly caused the old priest to keel over and die on the spot.

Then there was his proud son, Kirei Kotomine, who seemed to have the worst luck in this war. Two days ago, he had collapsed at the church entrance, and Assassin had been killed. Last night, he had been caught in a dire situation, and if it weren't for Archer, he would have been shot in the head. Now, severely injured, he was lying in his room, pretending to be dead.

After finally dealing with all this, Risei Kotomine grabbed a bottle of blood pressure medication and was about to have breakfast when a familiar with a note attached descended from the sky, bringing new news.

***

"So, Sakatsuki possesses an item that can break the Master-Servant contract?"

Dressed in a red suit, Tokiomi Tohsaka, who had just visited his disciple, stood side by side with Risei Kotomine, his expression grave as he looked at the message on the table.

Written in printed text, it succinctly provided information about the item.

A dagger-shaped object, shimmering with a poisonous, rainbow-like glow... Tokiomi, who had studied at the Clock Tower and had extensive knowledge, pondered for a moment before reaching a conclusion.

"According to legend, Medea from Greek mythology possessed the ultimate tool against magecraft. This must be that weapon."

The moment this conclusion was reached, the church fell into silence.

Regardless of the weapon's power, its functionality alone made it overwhelmingly powerful in the Holy Grail War, which relied on the Servant system.

For Tokiomi, whose confidence had been shaken and whose relationship with Archer was hanging by a thread, Sakatsuki's possession of such a weapon was beyond his tolerance.

Thus, after organizing his thoughts, Tokiomi spoke thoughtfully.

"Speaking of which, the tool possessed by Caster's Master clearly poses a hindrance to the progress of this Holy Grail War. They have severely violated the rules."

Risei Kotomine immediately understood, exchanging a subtle glance with his ally.

So far, Tokiomi had already used two Command Spells and was worried about how to legitimately obtain more from Risei. This information, provided by an unknown source, was like a pillow delivered just as he was about to fall asleep.

"Within my authority as the overseer, I can allow for some degree of rule modification. Let's temporarily halt the normal Holy Grail War and mobilize all Masters to eliminate the Caster faction."

"Do you have a plan, Father?"

"I will prepare rewards that will benefit the future battles for those who eliminate Caster. The other Masters won't want Caster's faction to win through underhanded means, will they? They will surely agree."

"I see. So, we're changing the game's direction to a fox hunt, is that it?"

In the flickering candlelight, the two men smiled at each other. In just a few sentences, they had pushed the Caster faction onto the pyre.

As for evidence... Well, this is the Holy Grail War. Did you expect a formal trial with plaintiffs and defendants?

Interest is the eternal driving force.

Thus, after issuing the church's summons, Risei Kotomine faced five familiars and announced the new rules.

"All Masters must immediately cease hostilities among themselves and focus all efforts on eliminating the Caster faction. As a special measure, I will award additional Command Spells to those who successfully eliminate Caster and their Master."

***

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