Aozaki Aoko Case File

Japan, Fuyuki City.

 Somewhere underground near the Mion River.

In an air-raid shelter, hidden from even the most advanced detection magic, stood Marisbury Animusphere and his most promising disciple, Kirschtaria Wodime.

"Teacher, the summoning circle is ready!"

Wodime announced, placing the tools he had used to inscribe the summoning circle aside before standing up from the floor.

"Perfect, Kirschtaria."

Marisbury inspected his student's work and nodded approvingly.

Marisbury Animusphere, the Lord of the Astromancy Department, retrieved a smooth, ancient golden ring from a securely locked briefcase.

Wearing gloves, he carefully placed the ring in his palm, examined it intently for a moment, and then walked to the center of the summoning circle. He carefully positioned the ring before stepping back to the summoner's designated position.

"Proclamation."

Marisbury began chanting the summoning spell in a calm, unhurried tone.

Kirschtaria stepped aside, watching as the intricate magic circle on the floor began to gather an immense amount of mana. Excitement welled up within him.

Though he had previously heard his teacher discuss theories about the Throne Heroes and Heroic Spirit Summoning, witnessing the summoning ritual of such a transcendent familiar for the first time was an unparalleled experience.

And this wasn't just any Heroic Spirit being summoned—it was the King of Magecraft himself, the one who had ended the Age of Gods and brought humanity the gift of magecraft.

Normally, such a king would not respond to an ordinary magus's summons. But Marisbury Animusphere was no ordinary magus.

Not only did he possess the final of the Ten Rings, but rumors also suggested that the Lord of the Astromancy Department might be a descendant of King Solomon himself.

As Kirschtaria, Marisbury's most gifted disciple, understood, his teacher had never truly sought out the Ten Rings. This particular ring had always been part of the Animusphere family's treasury, lending some credence to the legend.

"…Cross the Wheel of Suppression and manifest before me, Guardian of Scales!"

As the chant concluded, the concentration of mana within the workshop reached its zenith. Even a prodigy like Kirschtaria found the oppressive pressure nearly unbearable.

This overwhelming phenomenon was a direct result of summoning that man.

King Solomon was the last to form a covenant with the gods, who maintained the Fifth Imaginary Factor—the True Ether.

After his death, True Ether began vanishing rapidly from the surface of the Earth. By the year 1 AD, the Age of Gods had ended across the globe, leaving only remnants in isolated archipelagos.

Now, Marisbury had summoned King Solomon, signaling a fleeting restoration of the Age of Gods by bringing True Ether back into the world.

Despite all their protective measures and concealment efforts, they had underestimated the ripples caused by summoning King Solomon.

As the summoning circle completed its work, a man with braided white hair, adorned in a magnificent robe of red, white, black, and gold, appeared.

Kirschtaria found himself overwhelmed with mixed feelings. In some inexplicable way, the King of Magecraft standing before him gave off an impression reminiscent of his teacher, Marisbury.

King Solomon gazed at the ring he had been summoned with, lost in thought. Marisbury refrained from interrupting his contemplation.

The brown-skinned king knelt, picking up the golden ring from the ground. With a look of both nostalgia and conflict, he examined it closely.

Kirschtaria noticed something remarkable: one of the ten rings on King Solomon's fingers had vanished.

The king naturally slid the golden ring—the one used to summon him—onto his finger, filling the vacant spot.

"So, you are my Master this time?"

Solomon asked Marisbury in a warm yet emotionless tone.

"Indeed, King Solomon. I am Marisbury Animusphere, the one who summoned you," the Lord of the Astromancy Department replied with a hand over his chest and a polite smile.

After confirming the Command Seals on Marisbury, Solomon nodded.

"Then, our contract is now established. I shall assist you in securing victory in this Holy Grail War."

It was as if he were merely stating a fact, devoid of grandeur.

"O King, I have a request," Marisbury began.

"Please use your Clairvoyance to locate all our opponents and gather detailed information on them. With this, we can secure victory swiftly."

Solomon nodded but then shook his head, leaving Marisbury and Kirschtaria perplexed.

"I can discern some of the Servants and their Masters," Solomon explained.

"However, a few among them possess resistance against abilities that influence fate and time."

"This Spirit Origin is not potent enough for me to overcome their defenses," he continued, pausing briefly as if observing something.

"At least two participants in this war elude my Clairvoyance entirely."

What kind of magus could resist the gaze of King Solomon's Clairvoyance?

Marisbury frowned, lost in thought.

King Solomon's Clairvoyance was undoubtedly of the highest caliber, capable of perceiving nearly all events of the past and future. The only beings beyond its reach came from the Outside...

But why would they participate? Could a Magician, like Zelretch, truly be driven by greed to join this Holy Grail War?

...

"Someone is spying on us!"

Aoko suddenly opened her sharp eyes, interrupting her meditation. She alerted both Touko and Artoria.

"Impossible," Touko replied, frowning.

"We've maximized the concealment spells by leveraging the leyline nodes of Mount Enzou. How could anyone see through them?"

Aoko said nothing more. She stood, spreading her arms like the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio, and activated the Mystic Circuit engraved upon her body.

The activation of the Fifth Magic enveloped Artoria and Touko in its radiance, cutting off the faint sensation of being observed.