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A low hum, like the 'roar' of an igniting engine, reverberated through the air as the barrier surrounding the Einzbern estate deactivated.
The snow-covered landscape, a barren forest of walnut trees stripped bare by the winter's chill, began to distort.
As if an invisible was were painting across the canvas of reality, a castle, its ancient stones radiating an aura of history and power, materialized from the swirling snow.
A voice, old and raspy, echoed from all directions.
"Welcome—Hounds, to the Einzbern Castle. I am Jubstacheit von Einzbern, the eighth head of the Einzbern family. You may call me—Acht."
The mages, hearing Acht's introduction, looked at each other in shock.
"The eighth head? But—the Einzbern's lineage spans over two thousand years..."
"That means each head lived for over 250 years? They really are a monstrous family..."
Acht's voice echoed again.
"There is only one position available. We require only the 'Strongest' Hound."
The mages' expressions hardened. Only one? That meant they were all—enemies. They looked around, their eyes narrowed, their bodies tensing, their hands instinctively reaching for their weapons.
Inside the castle, Acht watched the mages, their hostility palpable, and smiled.
"You have three hours. The last one standing will become the Einzbern's son-in-law. BEGIN!"
A green barrier, encompassing a hundred-meter radius, materialized, trapping the mages within.
The air grew thick with tension. They glared at each other, their bodies coiled tight, ready to spring.
"Damn it! That's why they designated a meeting place!"
"A Battle Royale? The last one alive wins?"
"Don't panic! I'll try to break the barrier!" A middle-aged, white man roared, pulling a rocket launcher from his back and aiming it at the shimmering green wall.
A cloud of dust and smoke filled the enclosed space. The mages watched, their eyes fixed on the point of impact.
Seconds later, the dust settled, revealing the barrier—unscathed.
Their faces darkened.
"That barrier—even an anti-tank rocket launcher can't break it...?"
"Damn! My—Severing Magic doesn't work either!"
"It seems we have no choice but to follow their rules."
A tense silence fell over the group. Within the hundred-meter radius, they were all within striking distance of each other. And nearly every one of them was armed.
They knew the moment someone attacked, it would trigger a chaotic Battle royale.
Haru—who had been sitting on a nearby bench, stood up. His movement, a stark contrast to the others' tense stillness, drew their attention.
"What's he doing? Trying to break the barrier?"
"He has to try. The barrier's probably set to release only the last survivor. His wife and kids are trapped inside."
"Just kill them all. The winner gets to marry into the Einzbern family. What use are a wife and kids from the outside world?"
The mages sneered, their voices filled with malice, their words a cruel mockery of Haru's predicament.
To them, Haru—who'd brought his family, was more pathetic than they were. They only had to kill each other. He'd have to kill his own wife and children to survive.
For these mages, whose morality had long since eroded, nothing brought them more pleasure than seeing others suffer more than they did.
The middle-aged man with the rocket launcher aimed it at Aoi, who held the three little girls in her arms, a sinister grin on his face. "Here, let me help you with that—problem."
"How—thoughtful of you," another mage sneered.
"Go ahead! A little—fireworks—before the main event."
They watched, their eyes filled with anticipation.
Haru snapped his fingers, and the space behind him tore open. In a blink—he, Aoi, and the girls stepped through the rift and vanished.
The mages stared at the spatial tear, their mouths agape.
"Spatial manipulation?! The Second Magic!!!"
"No way! He's a True Magic user!"
The rocket launcher clattered to the ground as the middle-aged man collapsed, his face pale with terror.
The other mages, their earlier bravado gone, felt a chill run down their spines. They had just mocked—a True Magic user.
Everyone in the magical world knew that manipulating space was the domain of the Second Magic—Kaleidoscope. Seeing Haru use Spatial Manipulation, they'd instantly recognized him as a Second Magic user.
Haru turned, his gaze sweeping over the terrified mages. "I had no quarrel with you. I didn't want to kill you. What a shame. In your next life—try to be—less obnoxious."
Black flames of [Power of Destruction] erupted from the mages' bodies. They didn't even have time to scream before they were annihilated, reduced to nothing.
Within the Einzbern Castle's reception room, Acht sat on an ornate wooden chair, waiting.
"What's that?!" Acht shot to his feet, his eyes widening as he saw the spatial rift. And then, as Haru and his family stepped through, he gasped and bowed deeply.
"Jubstacheit von Einzbern, the eighth head of the Einzbern family, greets the True Magic user."
"Acht, I hear you're looking for a son-in-law. I'm here to—apply. Interested?" Haru asked, a playful smile on his face.
Acht's eyes widened, then lit up with excitement. "Are you—offering to help the Einzbern complete the Third Magic?"
Haru nodded—Completing [Heaven's Feel] was his goal, after all.
He sought to gather the unique rules of each world, to enhance his own being, to elevate his existence.
And the Fate world's most unique rule? It could be summarized in a single sentence:
"One Root, two Counter Forces, Five Magics, twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors."
This sentence encapsulated the essence of the Fate universe. And the rules Haru sought were hidden within its meaning.
Having already interacted with Alaya and Gaia, Haru knew that accessing the Root required mastering one of the Five Magics—the five methods of reaching the Root and returning safely.
The First and Fifth Magics were naturally occurring phenomena, born from the world's own chaotic evolution. The Second, Third, and Fourth, however, were created by humans.
But when Haru had inquired about the First and Fifth—those convenient shortcuts—he'd been met with—silence.
Gaia and Alaya couldn't reveal the secrets of the Five Magics. Once a Magic user reached the Root, the method they used would be assimilated by the Root, becoming a part of it. Even the Counter Force—a lesser being compared to the Root, couldn't access that information.
Only those who had already achieved a Magic knew its true nature.
So, Haru had to find his own way. And what he currently lacked most was knowledge of the soul. That was why he'd set his sights on the Einzbern family.
The Einzberns were descendants of the Magician who created the Third Magic, Heaven's Feel. And their method of recreating their master's achievement was the Holy Grail War, a system enacted in Fuyuki City.
Therefore, the Einzbern were the key to obtaining the complete Heaven's Feel.
And Haru, who'd long been—intrigued—by Illyasviel von Einzbern, wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to meet the adorable homunculus.
In the Einzbern's underground chambers, Haru stared intently at the figure floating within a glass tank filled with a green liquid.
Acht stood beside him. "Illyasviel von Einzbern. That will be her name."
"Is there anything—specific—you require, Haru-kakka? A particular body type? Facial features? We can still make adjustments before she's—released."
Inside the tank, Illyasviel's brow twitched, and she slowly opened her eyes, her ruby-red gaze fixing on Haru.
A face as delicate and perfect as a doll's, framed by silver hair that shimmered like spun moonlight in the green liquid.
Curled up within the tank, her long hair covering her, she looked at Haru with innocent, childlike curiosity.
Haru, his gaze fixed on her, a gentle smile on his face, murmured, "Welcome to the world, Illyasviel."
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