This Is My Holy Grail War

Kiritsugu Emiya was both a dreamer who yearned for world peace and a ruthless realist. These two traits, when combined, forged the complex man he had become.

Deep in his heart, he loved humanity—yet paradoxically, he had resolved to kill anyone and everyone if necessary.

This love was unique. It was neither affection, nor desire, nor even romantic love. It was a kind of detached, almost saintly benevolence. Perhaps this was the very meaning of the phrase the saint has no mercy—an ordinary man trying to follow a path meant only for gods.

But no matter how noble his intentions, human bodies and minds had limits.

Kiritsugu knew this, and rather than fleeing from it, he redoubled his efforts, hoping to achieve his impossible dream before his inevitable collapse.

The Holy Grail War.

That was the answer he had chosen—a war fought to win a wish-granting device capable of making miracles come true.

Now, this cold-blooded assassin of mages watched as two Servants ventured into Fuyuki's underground sewers—a dark, silent labyrinth where few dared tread.

What better place to bury one's enemies?

It was perfect, except for one glaring problem: Kiritsugu had not set any traps there beforehand. The only weapon strong enough to obliterate everything in that area was the Noble Phantasm of Saber.

And Kiritsugu hated that his Servant was Saber.

Despite the Saber class being renowned as the most powerful in the Holy Grail War, she was ill-suited to his methods.

The most frustrating part was her incredible [Magic Resistance A]. It was so powerful that it could resist the influence of even a Command Spell—an anomaly that disrupted the very foundation of the Grail War system itself.

In other words, Kiritsugu needed to use two Command Spells to forcibly compel her to act.

And with only three Command Spells at his disposal, this meant he could only command her once.

Ordering Saber to unleash her Noble Phantasm in such an unpredictable situation, potentially killing two righteous knights along with Caster?

Impossible.

Kiritsugu dismissed the thought immediately. In his eyes, Servants were rigid, inflexible knights incapable of nuance.

So, he waited, biding his time.

Reluctantly, he had shared information about Caster's atrocities, as well as Assassin and Lancer's movements, with Saber. Upon entering the sewer and hearing the clash of weapons, she rushed toward the sound.

In the maze-like sewers, Saber had chosen the most direct route—punching through walls in a straight line until she arrived.

And what awaited her was a scene straight out of hell: dismembered bodies, pools of blood, and the overwhelming stench of death.

Even Saber paused for a brief moment.

Not Kiritsugu.

This massacre of innocents meant nothing to him emotionally. It was a fact, another step in his grim journey.

"By my Command Spell, Saber—immediately unleash your Noble Phantasm and attack Caster!"

It was not rage or impulse that guided his order. It was cold, calculated efficiency.

The command was precise: immediately. Kiritsugu wasn't aiming for maximum destructive power. He wanted speed—enough force to kill, but no time for anyone to react.

For Kiritsugu, Saber's anger toward Caster was merely a tool. And the order itself was perfectly phrased: she was to target only Caster, leaving Assassin and Lancer as potential collateral.

Saber, already burning with fury, felt no resistance toward this command.

Without hesitation, she raised her invisible sword high above her head.

In the pantheon of Noble Phantasms, few could rival Saber's for its sheer brilliance. Only [Ea], the sword of Gilgamesh, could surpass her sacred blade in might.

A radiant light erupted from her weapon as she prepared to strike, the winds of Invisible Air dissipating to reveal the legendary sword.

"Jeanne?!"

Caster's deranged eyes widened to their limits, filled with manic delight.

"Ah! Jeanne!"

Tears streamed down his face as he shrieked in ecstasy. His voice cracked and trembled, no longer coherent.

But Saber gave him no time to revel in his delusions.

"Run!"

Assassin's instincts screamed at her to shout. She had been watching Saber carefully, not out of fear of the knight herself, but of the one who controlled her—Kiritsugu.

And now she knew exactly why Kiritsugu had sent Saber here.

"Run!"

The words were involuntary. Her body had already felt the incoming storm through her instincts.

In an instant, her mind conjured an image of what was about to happen: a torrent of golden light consuming everything in its path.

One second remained.

The brilliant golden glow of Excalibur illuminated the sewer, piercing the darkness like the sun.

The fetid corridor transformed into a blinding expanse of light.

"[Ex—calibur!]"

Saber's voice resounded like a divine decree, and the blade descended, releasing a torrent of pure destruction.

The narrow sewer erupted in golden brilliance as the flood of holy energy surged forward, consuming everything in its path.