London had entered its long, gloomy rainy season. A light drizzle fell continuously on the old streets. Pedestrians hurrying past the windows clutched their trench coats tightly as they walked across the waterlogged pavent.
Deep within the Clock Tower, in a modern magecraft classroom, Lord El-lloi II slowly lit a cigar, took a deep drag, and exhaled the smoke. Through the haze, his gaze settled on the young man before him.
"About the matter of secretly booking a plane ticket to Snowfield City… Do you have anything to say for yourself, Matou?"
Lord El-lloi II's voice was unusually gentle. Yet anyone who knew even a little about this Lord would recognize this as the calm before the storm.
The young man seated across the desk maintained a calm, obedient smile. "Professor… I know you've been worried about Flat's safety these past few days and haven't slept well. I just want to go to Arica and safely bring that idiot back—"
Bang!
Before the young man could finish speaking, Lord El-lloi II slamd his hand forcefully onto the table piled high with parchnt.
"Just to bring him back alive?"
The Acting Lord of the Clock Tower gritted his teeth. "Matou Yuu, do you really believe such a ridiculous story that wouldn't even fool a three-year-old?!"
It was no wonder Lord El-lloi II felt utterly defeated.
About two weeks earlier, his most troubleso and arrogant genius disciple, Flat, had left a single letter on the table and secretly slipped off to Arica to participate in the so-called Holy Grail War.
Lord El-lloi II, who knew full well how bloody and cruel the Holy Grail War was, had sent over a dozen urgent letters ordering that fool to return to London. There had been no replies.
And before this ss could be resolved, his seemingly most worry-free disciple had secretly booked a flight to Arica under the pretext of "looking for soone"!
"Matou Yuu!!" Lord El-lloi II's voice suddenly rose. "What exactly do you two think life is?! The Holy Grail War is a brutal ritual that can kill people. It's not a child's ga!"
Yet even in the face of Lord El-lloi II's near-shouting reprimand, the black-haired young man simply lowered his eyes slightly and stayed silent.
On the surface, he appeared to acknowledge his mistake. In reality, he was only quietly sighing inside.
"…Professor, I just want to go ho."
The "ho" the young man spoke of was not the Matou residence in Fuyuki City.
Matou Yuu was a ti traveler.
At the age of ten, he had reincarnated into this world through "flesh-body reincarnation." Because he possessed the extrely rare "Imaginary Number" attribute, he had been adopted by Matou Zouken.
Indeed, the Type-Moon world was filled with astonishingly beautiful girls. His own sister, Matou Sakura, was an incredibly cute girl.
However, no one understood better than Matou Yuu just how dangerous this world truly was.
Setting aside distant past examples, that Lord of Astromancy Marisbury's eccentric behavior had nearly driven the world to the brink of collapse. Most magi could be described as non-humans who possessed no moral sense whatsoever.
Compared to a world where one might get caught in a magi skirmish or die inexplicably in a "gas explosion," he missed his carefree shut-in life—staying up all night gaming, relaxing in an air-conditioned room, and eating junk food.
To break through the dinsional wall and return to everyday life, the only solution Matou Yuu could currently think of was to borrow the imnse magecraft system of the Greater Grail.
"If I go to Snowfield City, I might be able to bring Flat back to you… and perhaps even win the Holy Grail War along the way." Matou Yuu looked up and attempted one final negotiation.
Lord El-lloi II frowned and stared intently at the young man.
Win the Holy Grail War? You want to investigate it too? These young people today have no idea how cruel that hell truly is!
"Absolutely not. You will remain in the Clock Tower and go nowhere else."
Lord El-lloi II stubbed out his half-smoked cigar in the ashtray and declared firmly, "Next, I will personally go to Snowfield City and bring back that good-for-nothing Flat. You, Reines, and Gray will obediently wait for my return in the Clock Tower!"
The heavy sound of leather shoes faded, and the classroom door slamd shut with a bang.
Only Matou Yuu remained in the room.
He turned his gaze to the window. Large raindrops hamred heavily against the thick glass, distorting the cityscape outside.
Eventually, Matou Yuu let out a helpless sigh.
He was fully aware of the dangers of the Holy Grail War.
However, to go ho, he had no choice but to step into this muddy water.
...
Five days later, Matou Yuu secretly boarded a transatlantic flight and set foot on this land dominated by capitalism.
At Las Vegas Airport, a young man in a thin jacket dragged an old suitcase as he walked through the bustling terminal.
"If Lord El-lloi II finds out that two of his disciples have run off to such a remote place, won't he faint from rage?"
The image of Waver's furious face flashed through his mind, and Matou Yuu couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.
Dusk was approaching. The area around the airport was crowded with foreigners speaking loudly in Arican English with various accents.
On the surface, it seed full of prosperity and vitality. No one knew that a dangerous Holy Grail War would begin in less than a day.
Of course, Matou Yuu felt more anticipation than anxiety.
Ever since he had lived with the Matou family, he had already been preparing for the Holy Grail War.
He instinctively reached into the inner pocket of his coat and gently traced an ancient stone with his fingertips.
…It was a "Holy Relic" excavated from the Matou family archives—a fragnt of a fossil from the imaginary sea.
Dragging his heavy, old suitcase, Matou Yuu followed the airport's winding, maze-like signs and finally reached the fifth floor of the parking garage.
He glanced at the Uber interface on his smartphone. The estimated fare for a re 25-minute ride was $58.42—and that didn't even include the customary 15% tip upon arrival.
"With this ridiculous price, I could buy half a year's worth of gas in Fuyuki City…"
The young man sighed regretfully, but to settle down as quickly as possible, he steeled himself and tapped the confirm button.
Soon after, an old Chevrolet with faded paint and a dull-sounding exhaust pipe pulled up in front of him.
The driver was a middle-aged man with a beer belly, wearing a flashy Hawaiian shirt.
As he roughly shoved Matou Yuu's luggage into the trunk, he flashed a wide smile, showing two rows of white teeth. "Hey, buddy! Heading to Snowfield City? That shiny new money-printing machine in the desert? You don't look like a local coming to scatter cash at the casinos. Tourist?"
Matou Yuu froze for a mont, then put on his signature awkward smile. "No, uncle. I'm just a worker here to pick up my 'runaway little brother' and take him ho."
Sitting in the back seat filled with the sll of cheap car air freshener, watching the ter numbers climb higher and higher, Matou Yuu felt as if his heart were bleeding.
In the Arica, taxi fares consisted of base fare, exorbitant surge pricing, and mandatory tips. Even for a distance of only 20–30 minutes from the airport, the fare was often at least $60.
With a limited budget, Matou Yuu had booked a cheap motel on the outskirts of Snowfield. The travel agency had advertised it as a high-value business suite.
The car finally stopped in front of a desolate side road.
This area, far removed from the flashy postmodern architecture of the city center, was a transitional zone of hastily built prefab panels for cheap construction workers and low-inco gold miners.
Matou Yuu struggled to lift his heavy suitcase and entered the building. The interior was filled with the sll of cheap detergent.
The narrow elevator doors were covered in yellow "System Maintenance" stickers, so he gave up with a sigh and had no choice but to climb the dimly lit stairs—stained with unidentifiable marks—to the third floor.
Room 304.
He took out a heavily worn key from his pocket, inserted it forcefully into the lock several tis, and finally heard a dull click.
Pushing the door open, the room was extrely cramped and stifling. Besides a single bed with completely worn-out mattress springs and a simple wardrobe, there was only a kitchen the size of a public restroom stall.
"…This is a $50-per-night business suite?"
Seeing this, Matou Yuu felt like cursing in anger.
Where had the idea that Arica was a paradise on earth gone?
When you're broke, it seems everywhere is the sa…
The young man sighed and kicked his suitcase into the corner.
He skillfully dipped his fingertips into specially prepared magical rcury and traced a complex summoning circle on the carpet.
Despite the difficulties along the way, watching the array gradually take shape… at that mont, Matou Yuu's heart began to beat uncontrollably fast.
Just what kind of mystical Heroic Spirit would the fossil fragnt he brought from the Matou family summon?
With a mix of anxiety and anticipation, Matou Yuu placed the fossil at the center of the array, slowly extended his right hand, and quietly chanted the incantation he had already morized.
"Announcent."
"Your body is under my command. My fate is bound to your sword."
"Respond to the call of the Holy Grail and answer , you who follow this will and principle!"
"I hereby swear."
"I am the one who shall achieve all the good in this world, and the one who shall gather all the evil in this world."
"You are the guardian of the seven heavens bound by the three great words of power from the rings of restraint and the scales!"
The mont the final syllable ended, a dazzling deep-crimson light suddenly erupted from the summoning circle.
Imdiately afterward, a terrifying will that shook space itself quietly enveloped the entire small room!
Gulp!
Huh? What the hell is this commotion…?
Along with a system notification sound, gray text rapidly appeared before Matou Yuu's eyes.
[Congratulations, Host! Using the Matou family's water-attribute magecraft, you have successfully summoned — "Ancient Sea Spirit"!]
[Combat Power: Weak. Characteristics: Only cries "Aa~", extrely clingy. Recomnded as an ornantal pet.]
[System Notification: Your Sea Spirit larva has experienced slight spiritual foundation fluctuations due to the long journey. Please proceed to the Life Energy Reconstruction Altar to replenish terrestrial life force.]
[Current Mission: Obtain a Golden Fat Energy Block and purchase a Dark Tranquilizer rich in active bubbles to administer together with the item.]
What does that an?
While Matou Yuu was completely bewildered by the sudden system notification, the light from the summoning circle on the carpet had already expanded to its maximum.
Then, within that crimson ring of light, a pair of eerie yet affectionate red eyes slowly opened.
Matou Yuu's attention imdiately returned to the woman before him.
He was instantly captivated by her appearance.
The woman before him possessed an incomparably beautiful face that seed to transcend the limits of human aesthetics. Her purity was almost divine.
In contrast to her angelic facial features, her mature, sensual body overflowed with decadent allure.
At the very least, since reincarnating into this world, Matou Yuu had never imagined that the fruits on a human chest could be so abundantly full.
Her blue hair flowed down like a waterfall. Her clothing was made of black mud forming binding bands. Her waist, hips, and beautiful legs all possessed extrely seductive proportions, perfectly highlighting unbelievable sexy curves.
It was hard to imagine that such a perfect and wonderful woman existed in this world.
Matou Yuu swallowed hard.
He instinctively reacted.
Yet despite the allure of her mature, sensual body, the massive spiral horns growing from the top of her head declared that this was a terrifying existence beyond human understanding—a mystical spirit.
Although in his previous life he had only watched Type-Moon ani and played a bit of FGO, Matou Yuu was not completely unaware of the woman's identity.
Rather, the sense of closeness he felt toward her stemd from the primal reverence engraved in human DNA.
…The Goddess of Creation, Tiamat?!
Is this system bugged?
Calling this a "weak combat power deep-sea ancient sea spirit"?!
After a mont of deathly silence and confusion, Matou Yuu unconsciously tilted his head. "…Eh?"
Tiamat, standing at the center of the summoning circle, blinked her clear, innocent red eyes on her astonishingly beautiful face.
Then, the ancient Mother Goddess mimicked Matou Yuu's movent and slightly tilted her head.
"Aa~?"
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