The Holy Grail War began with three magus families: Einzbern, Makiri (Matou), and Tohsaka; the "Three Founding Families."
The Einzberns crafted the Grail's vessel, the Matous built the Servant summoning system and Command Spells, and the Tohsakas offered Fuyuki City's rich spiritual veins for the Grail's arrival.
As Fuyuki's big landowners and the only thriving magus family there, the Tohsakas saw themselves as the city's protectors, sticking closest to the magical world's rules. Their motto? "Always stay elegant." Noble grace was the goal.
The current head, Tokiomi Tohsaka, was Archer's Master in this war. Archer's true name? Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes; humanity's oldest legend and, hands down, the strongest Servant.
Summoning her should've been a guaranteed win. But her ego was a force of its own. Even with Tokiomi playing the loyal subject, he kept rubbing her the wrong way.
Her?
Something felt off.
"Tokiomi, I'm tired of your excuses. Time to find a new trick." Golden hair spilled onto the red carpet, her armor gleaming over a delicate, lavish frame. Pale skin peeked from the gaps, and her crimson eyes glinted with impatience.
She shone like a god; sharp features, a faint, almost-smirk. Everything about her stood out, as if a goddess had stepped from the age of myths.
And she was. Two-thirds divine, outranking many so-called gods. She could claim godhood anytime but didn't care to.
Lounging on the sofa, she looked lazy, yet it felt like an empress sizing up a vassal. Her outfit barely covered her–any shift risked a flash of skin. Her youthful figure lacked curves, but Tokiomi kept his eyes down.
He bowed low. "O King, please don't be angry. Using the Command Spell then wasn't to offend you. Showing our hand now would've been unwise…"
"Boring…" Gilgamesh sighed. "So… boring."
"Tokiomi, don't you see what you've done? It's not the Command Spell, it's defying me! The King is absolute. Subjects suggest; that's it. Anything else, you beg for. If I don't give, you don't take."
She lifted a golden goblet, tipping red wine onto the carpet with a sneer. "Lick it up."
"Your punishment, Tokiomi."
It was humiliation, plain and simple.
She looked like a teenager while he was a middle-aged noble. He was the Master, she the Servant—Command Spells gave him the upper hand. He still had two, each a leash on her life. He could've flipped it all with a word, made her bow instead.
But he didn't.
Tokiomi shed his red coat, knelt slowly, and lowered his head…
Slap!
A flawless foot stomped the wine stain, toes like pearls pressing into the carpet. Tokiomi paused, eyeing it with a flicker of doubt.
"What's wrong, Tokiomi? Where's your loyalty?" Her voice teased, eyes catching his struggle.
"Come on. Show me; dignity or courage, which one breaks first?" A spark of delight crossed her face, like she hoped for something.
Tokiomi steeled himself, lips inching closer…
"Scum!"
A kick sent him sprawling before he could touch it. "Don't get near me!" she snapped.
She left him alive—his magecraft was decent; he'd recover with breath in his lungs.
Gilgamesh walked off, disappointed. She'd seen it coming but didn't want to admit it: 'I've been summoned by a total bore.'
She didn't mind the weak; watching them squirm was fun. She didn't hate the brave; she'd been a hero herself, defying gods. What she despised were fakes who hid weakness behind "courage."
Why did Tokiomi grovel? To appease her, to win the war, to reach the Root through the Grail, his family's dream.
'Such a dull, pitiful man. I can't even be bothered to punish him.'
Gilgamesh didn't get it—family missions, duty. To her, fate was hers alone to shape. Nothing but her will could sway her.
Only those who challenged fate earned her respect. From the age of gods to now, just one had stood beside her, Enkidu. She didn't expect more and didn't need them.
She'd hoped this era might surprise her, but Tokiomi; decent by today's standards, was a fool in her eyes, dimming her faith in the present.
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"Master, are you okay?" Father Kotomine Kirei lifted Tokiomi up. "Don't worry, I'll heal you fast."
In his priest's robe, cross dangling, Kirei's face stayed grim, like he carried humanity's sins. A perfect clergyman and he was. Ask anyone; they'd name him the most devout.
Maybe that faith fueled his healing magecraft, outshining even Tokiomi's.
Tokiomi coughed blood. Even a casual kick from her was too much for a human. Without jewel magecraft boosting his body, he'd be dead.
"Thanks, Kirei… This was expected. Getting off this light is good for us."
He sat, avoiding the sofa she'd claimed; it wasn't his to touch anymore.
"Her strength is unreal, but that personality… If we serve her carefully, victory's ours."
He knew she would stop him from touching her, so he'd played along, betting on her limit. If she hadn't, though? He wasn't sure he'd have stopped.
Dignity meant little next to his family's wish. A decent teacher, maybe, but his softness made him a weak magus. A good parent? Sending his daughter away said otherwise. Not evil, just a man blind to his limits.
To some, his endurance might impress. But he forgot: Gilgamesh wasn't human. Judging a hero, a near-god with mortal logic? Laughable.
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Mortals should know their place. Haru did. At seven, even with magecraft, he wasn't that strong, plenty of adults could overpower him. His edge? Being small, blending into the night.
The streets were quiet, unrest kept people indoors. Deals that usually lit up the dark stayed dim.
Haru recalled Caster's workshop; sewers, probably. Ryuunosuke lured kids with hypnosis tools. In a big city, finding two creeps was tough, but with kids in tow, they'd stick to back alleys. That narrowed things down.
'Wasn't there an entrance near the subway?'
Scanning for it, Haru spotted a small red figure.
"Huh? Looks familiar."
Then it clicked; a little red devil. "No way, Rin Tohsaka? Talk about luck; she's after her friend too!"
Rin, future Tohsaka head and a heroine in the original tale, was just a kid now, the same age as him. Her friend Kotone got snatched by Ryuunosuke too. Unlike Haru, she had tools; a "magic detector" from her magus family. In the story, it led her straight to the kids.
Haru grinned and tailed her quietly.