“They were right, master. There is a boundary field here.”

“What kind of boundary field?”

“Just like they said. Anti-spirit.”

It is night. We are at the foot of the stairs that lead to Ryuudouji Temple. Sakura said there is a boundary field around the temple that prevents any spirits from entering from any direction other than the stairs, so we came to check it out. She said Rider confirmed that the field was effective against servants. It sounds like an easy to defend place. There is a chance that some master is using this place as a base of operations.

Changer extends his hand toward the trees. It is as if he is touching an invisible wall. He actually is doing just that.

“No servant can last long in there. Just entering would be enough to weaken me out of my comfort zone.”

“No way to approach but the stairs then.”

“Yes. Do we continue?”

“Of course. We haven’t come here to turn back even before reaching the gates.”

We start climbing. It is a long way up. The monks that live up there must be out of their minds, if they climb all these stairs every time they leave. It is actually kind of cool, how they are willing to endure hardships for the road they have chosen.

I know a boy that attends my school from here. I feel like commending him a little.

Just a little.

He should be up there right now. If there is a master there, I wonder what they did to the monks. Could they be being controlled? Maybe the master is simply acting like some kind of guest? Ryuudou looked and acted like he always does yesterday.

Yesterday. It was a long day. We watched a fight between two servants that I’m guessing were Saber and Lancer. We saw another servant who may or may not be Heracles. We learned that one of the remaining servants might be Lancelot.

I frown. We don’t know anything concrete about others, do we?

But these weren’t all. We finalized our deal with Sakura. I definitely wouldn’t want to fight with her. I’d rather lose than hurt her. That’s why I couldn’t agree more with her decision to close herself off in her house and stay on the defensive. That way, she should stay safe till the end.

I didn’t expect her to know so much, but the information she provided was invaluable. Unlike father, who left almost no notes behind about The Holy Grail War, her grandfather seems to be willing to share his knowledge with her. For one, I thought the ley lines in the city only converged around my house. To think there were four places. Way to go about your teachings you fake priest. Could you be any more useless as a teacher?

Existence of this boundary field was the second important thing I learned. Making this trip might lead to nothing, but we might also find one of our enemies, so it’s worth a look.

I shake my head. This is no time to go over the things you know, Rin. You are in a potentially hostile territory. Focus on your surroundings.

I look around. We are still climbing up, the gate is still far away, and our sides are still covered with trees.

There is really no reason for me to be vigilant actually. This servant of mine felt a servant from the length of a skyscraper away when he was passive, and half a city away when he was fighting. He is a magician too, and he can feel other masters or spells even better than I can. Even if I am vigilant, anything off I detect, he will have already detected it.

I look ahead, to his back. He is currently in spirit form, but I got used to our connection so well that I can understand not only where he is, but even in what position he is standing and where he is looking. It feels very similar to actually seeing him.

Yesterday, Sakura said that a relic bound to Lancelot was stolen, and I summoned Changer. Could it be a coincidence? Changer and I aren’t really alike. Sakura didn’t know what actually the relic was, but a relic for Lancelot functioning as a relic for Changer is not too farfetched, considering one is the other’s killer.

Then, what? Did whoever stole that relic plant it in my basement? To… I don’t know, maybe to ensure the summoning of a servant that was known to them? Then, was there an unknown relic in my basement that caused me to summon Changer? Impossible. The defences around my house were never broken. They would need to infiltrate in and out without me noticing.

Assassin. I remember Changer’s words from two days ago: “Assassin could be in the house right now for all we know.” So, Assassin planted a relic in my basement, knowing that’s where I’d do the summoning and that I had no relic. Only to ensure I summoned Lancelot. Unlikely. Very unlikely. But possible.

Otherwise, I simply summoned Changer as a coincidence. It too is very unlikely, but possible.

Anyway. I should focus on the here and now.

Suddenly Changer materializes, points his hand to the side and shoots something. I think I see something shaped like a little bow at his hand, but it quickly disappears, along with him.

“What?” I ask.

“A familiar. Someone was watching this place.”

We don’t stop. If someone is inside, they could have left it there to keep watch. Or, if anyone else knows about this barrier around the temple, or its condition as a location where fey lines converge, they might choose to keep watch on the place. It is not unexpected.

We keep going up and reach the gate. Perhaps I’ll get to see Changer’s preparations.

He asked for some time to prepare items before the next fight, so we spent the second half of yesterday and almost all of today in the house. I saw him taking some pebbles of the side of the road. He said he would make them into beacons. Similarly, I use jewels to store my spells, so I’m interested in how he is planning to use them.

We stop for a few seconds as Changer checks the gate for any traps. He doesn’t find anything, so we go inside. It is the same as always, or so I’d like to say, but despite living this close all my life, I’ve never been up here before.

The courtyard is empty. It is almost midnight, so it is normal. I expect the monks live according to the saying; early to bed, early to rise.

I don’t feel any magical presence, but they might be hiding. Perhaps Assassin and his master are around, keeping out of our sight.

Perhaps not, but it doesn’t hurt to look around.

“Master, I feel a servant downstairs. Along with the presence of a magician. They are coming this way.”

* * *

[Prelude – Day ????]

“Welcome to Uruk, sir! The great city of the Sumerians, and house of the throne of the mighty King Gilgamesh.”

The blonde tourist turned to the speaking man. He was pointing his hand towards some pitiful ruins as if there was something to see.

This place was nothing like how he remembered it.

“This is Uruk? What happened to the rest?”

“Unfortunately, the rest fell against the deadliest and mightiest of all enemies. The great destroyer named time.”

Time. Yes. Time was his greatest enemy too. He too had struggled against it, but like always, time was merciless.

“What about the lands? There were forests and green plains here.”

The local guide who was too white to be a native started swinging his arms wildly. He was obviously trying to dramatize what he was saying, but instead he looked like a lowly mongrel, yes, like everyone else he met.

“Alas, time is not content with only the human-made sir. It consumes living things too. Almost all the plants and the wildlife also fell against it.”

The blonde man turned back and started walking away. He had seen enough.

“Did you not like what you saw…” the man asked from behind him, with that irritating voice he had. Then he continued with a more serious tone and in another language: “…oh, great King of Kings?”

“Wha-?” Gilgamesh attempted to turn back. That last part was in his own language! Ancient Sumerian!

He saw that the man no longer wore the traditional garb, they had called ‘disdasha’. He now wore a full dark blue suit with matching necktie and a white shirt.

But before he turned away completely, Gilgamesh was shocked once more as he was blown back into the air. He managed to turn in the air and land on his feet. He would normally be angry, but this time, curiosity far overwhelmed anger.

Because, he was blown back by what appeared to be a magical attack. That should have been impossible. The accessories he had on him, like he always does, provided him with a total of close to EX rank magic resistance. No magic from this world should have been able to affect him! What’s more, he still did not detect any magical energy from the man! This could only mean one thing.

“Who are you?” he asked in his native language.

The man in dark blue suit smiled and bowed.

“A thousand greetings, King of Kings. It is an honour to be able to introduce myself to you.”

He raised and started approaching, slowly.

“Marcus Grayson, at your service. I have something I want from you.”

He raised his hand towards Gilgamesh. Still smiling:

“Daika.”