Chapter 1: Goldie is an Original Protagonist

The ritual was flawless—perfect in every way. No matter how many times he looked back on it, those were the only words that came to mind. Such was its degree of completion.

At the very least, the ritual itself was devoid of even a single defect. Tokiomi Tohsaka took great pride in that. The summoned Servant, Archer, stood there with perfect Parameter and Skills.

Then, what had gone wrong? Tokiomi had performed the proper etiquette as a subject. There should have been no oversight.

And yet, in reality, the Golden Servant did not even deign to answer Tokiomi’s words. Giving him but a single glance, Archer leisurely pulled out "something"—

In an instant, a sharp pain shot through Tokiomi's Command Spells. Panicked, he looked down to find that of the three strokes that should have been there, two had vanished. Furthermore, his "path" (connection) with Archer had also disappeared.

Before he could even process what was happening, Archer pulled out something massive. It blew the house apart from the inside with ease, and then the Servant departed for parts unknown.

This was the curtain-call for the beginning of Tokiomi Tohsaka’s worst Holy Grail War.

"It makes no sense."

I clutched my head while riding a Noble Phantasm that soared through the sky at high speeds. The fingers scratching my head and the flowing blonde hair were, naturally, not my original features. This body—if I can even call it that—belonged to its original owner: Gilgamesh.

When I woke up, a bearded old man who looked like he had some serious delusions was standing before me. What’s more, for some reason, he was bowing his head. In a situation like this, anyone would be at a loss for a reaction. I don't consider myself a tactless person, but my vocabulary wasn't nearly rich enough to say something witty in this scenario.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I was able to grasp the current situation immediately. This was because a vast amount of knowledge I shouldn't have known was being crammed into my head. Among the most important bits were terms like "Holy Grail," "Servant," and "Command Spells"—along with the dangerous word, "War."

There is a story called Fate. My current environment was exactly that. Moreover, I was Gilgamesh, the Archer-class Servant, one of the characters in the spin-off work, Fate/Zero.

“This makes no sense...”

I hunched over, clutching my head even tighter. Just because I understood the situation didn't mean I could accept it.

For the time being, I landed the flying Noble Phantasm—probably Vimana—on the rooftop of a nearby building. It wasn't that I had regained my composure; I simply thought I should avoid consuming Magical Energy/Mana (魔力 - Maryoku) unnecessarily.

From the high vantage point, I looked down at the crowds colored by artificial lights. Doing so gave me the faint sensation of being part of daily life. It was a temporary escape from reality.

"First, I need to find a Master..."

The option of just disappearing was never there from the start. Archer has a high Independent Action skill, so I could probably remain manifested for several days as I am. However, calling that a stroke of luck would be a stretch, given how problematic the Master candidates were.

First, Ryuunosuke Uryuu, who isn't even a Magus, is out of the question. At the same time, Kirei Kotomine, who has already summoned a Servant, is also excluded. Kariya Matou is a no-go due to concerns regarding his mana supply.

From here, the discussion assumes these people haven't summoned their Servants yet. Waver is low priority due to his low mana capacity. Besides, I'd rather not deal with someone who would constantly complain. It might be different once a relationship of trust is built, but unfortunately, I don't have that kind of leeway.

Next is Kiritsugu. To begin with, since he abandons dialogue entirely, he's literally impossible to talk to. I want to survive no matter what. Plus, the physical distance is too great. Let Saber deal with the trouble of handling him. (Amen.)

Lastly, there’s Kayneth. He is the closest to being the "favorite" choice. He is impeccable as a magus and possesses high personal combat ability. While he has a stubborn side (though not as bad as Kiritsugu), that was also partly Lancer's fault. Had his 'NTR' ability not activated from the start, their master-servant relationship should have been better. As for his natural enemy, Kiritsugu, lending Kayneth two or three defensive Noble Phantasms should solve the problem. However, he is also far away.

Looking at it this way, Tokiomi was actually a very safe bet. I regret jumping the gun. Well, since he would have betrayed me in the end anyway, I'll just accept it as a matter of it happening sooner rather than later.

Fortunately, I have two Command Spells I snatched from Tokiomi. I could use these to create a new Master, but...

“Is there anyone? A person I can make my Master without causing trouble?”

To be honest, every option is dangerous.

Irisviel? She follows Kiritsugu blindly. Even if I built trust and she started listening to me, she would ultimately choose her husband. Plus, there’s a risk of a domestic crisis.

Sola-Ui. Impossible. She is currently in the middle of a love triangle crisis. It wouldn't be hard to infiltrate by showing her my power and instigating her a little. Strategically, she is undoubtedly the best in all camps, but she will certainly self-destruct. While watching a domestic crisis is entertaining, but being part of it? No thanks.

Then there’s the "landmine" that isn't even a last resort, everyone’s "favorite" Zolgen Makiri (Zouken Matou). There’s no point in taking such a massive risk just for a few benefits.

“Ah, if only I had a decent Master, I could manage somehow...”

Yes, I believe that as long as I have a decent Master, I can definitely win no matter which camp I fight.

Frankly, Gilgamesh's specs are abnormal. His parameters is already high, and the fact that his strength equals his Noble Phantasms is the best thing about him. This wouldn't be the case with Artoria or Diarmuid, whose personal strength is greater than their Noble Phantasms.

In addition, the Gate of Babylon is an instant-kill Noble Phantasm for those who see it for the first time. Think about it: while the opponent is bracing themselves, unsure of how you will attack, when suddenly over a hundred missiles rain down on them. There are almost no Heroic Spirits who could deal with this.

Iskandar is also a Noble Phantasm-dependent Heroic Spirit, but his capability is on a different scale. The fact that he’s always flying around is a threat, but conversely, it's like saying his melee combat ability is low. At the very least, he doesn't have the ability to handle Saber or Lancer if they get into close quarters. Naturally, neither I nor Gilgamesh has the ability to easily win if we are cornered in close range.

Even if a Noble Phantasm is activated, I’m confident I can handle it. The high-ranked Noble Phantasms are Prelati's Spellbook, Knight of Owner, Excalibur, and Ionioi Hetairoi. There are others, but let's set them aside for now. The former two are not a problem. I don't care about my Noble Phantasms getting dirty, and even if they are stolen, I can just throw an unmanageable volume of weapons at them. Using items that cause parameter ailments or parameter debuffs is also an option.

As for the Holy Sword of the Planet (Excalibur), I can defend against it by mobilizing many defensive Noble Phantasms, even without using Ea. However, in Saber’s case, there's a high possibility she will launch it at a timing that makes interception or defense impossible. Carelessness is forbidden.

Regarding Ionioi Hetairoi... Honestly, I'm at a loss for comment. The continuous summoning of independent Servants is certainly amazing. It's amazing, but if you ask how useful it is in a Holy Grail War, I have to tilt my head. Think about it, most Noble Phantasms are 'Anti-Army' or higher. Yes, there are mountains of Servants with Noble Phantasms suited to blowing up an army. Summoning an army among them? Well, I suppose it's the perfect way to show off a king's majesty. In that sense, I'm glad I possessed Gilgamesh. As Iskandar, I could do nothing but fly away and escape.

“...Focus. I need a Master. Someone with low abilities as a magus is fine, as long as they have a large magical energy supply and don't complain too much. Is there anyone like that? ...Wait, there was one person.”

I stood up. At the same time, I pulled out a transportation Noble Phantasm. The Gate of Babylon is incredibly convenient, bringing out the most suitable Noble Phantasm even for a vague thought.

(If I recall, the timing for the remaining Servant summons was almost simultaneous, right?)

If so, there's a high possibility a Servant will be at the place I’m going. Also, having just been summoned, their system probably isn't perfect. Considering the worst-case scenario of a fight, now is the perfect time to strike.

I got on Vimana and flew at high speeds.

My destination is the Matou Estate.

—In that moment, the Matou Estate turned into a living hell. No, Kariya Matou had never once thought this cursed house was anything but hell. At the very least, to him, it was a mirror image of the underworld.

However, today's hell was completely different. The first thing he felt was a shockwave. All the furniture was blown away, and naturally, Kariya's body was slammed against the wall. The house, half-shattered, crumbled from the remaining sections. The scream his body let out was drowned out by the groaning and creaking echoing from the entire building.

It was no miracle that the damage was so slight that he could stand up immediately. It was because the Berserker, reacting to the danger, had materialized on his own and taken a stance. The vortex, which should have carried away a few bones, was split in half, and Kariya only took the aftershock.

Looking at the night sky visible through the collapsed wall, he dusted himself off. The dust that covered his entire body fluttered like mist. The floor was shaky and extremely unreliable. It felt like it could give way at any moment.

This is hell. However, unlike the usual freezing hell, it felt as though he had been dropped into a scorching Purgatory. The only commonality was that it was hell. In the Matou household, which remained hell no matter how it changed, Kariya felt a strange surge of laughter. It was utterly absurd. Unrealistic. Like—yes, like a war. This was the kind of event that might happen in a village near a conflict zone.

And he himself, participating in such a war, was also ridiculous. He, who was swayed by a Magi's obsession, participated in a Magi’s grudge. A completely stupid story, full of idiots everywhere.

But still. No matter how ridiculous, there was something he couldn't forgive... and someone he wanted to save. To achieve that, he was willing to pay any price. To restore the girl's smile—

“Sakura-chan!”

Kariya screamed. Ignoring the crumbling floor, he rushed to the shattered opening. When he grabbed the edge, it crashed down, slamming against his body. This time, he struggled not to fall, stabilized himself, and finally looked down.

The room he had been resting in was on the second floor. Since the floor had been destroyed, it naturally pierced through to the first floor. However, that giant hole plunged even deeper, disappearing into an abyss-like darkness.

"————!"

A wordless scream echoed in his head. A sense of despair so strong it felt like he would go insane. He had been resting from the exhaustion of the Heroic Spirit summoning. That meant there was only one person who would be put into the Worm Pit next.

His body began to move, forgetting the paralysis of his limbs. The stairs had vanished. He jumped from the half-missing floor and landed on a sofa on the first floor. Even so, his worn-out stamina couldn't fully kill the impact, and he struck his body hard. Whipping his aching frame, he looked at the hole that continued even deeper. Excavated deep into the earth, it was about the height of a small building. Jumping down would likely result in death.

The Worm Pit, which had been too dark to see anything, was instantly illuminated. The sheer intensity of the light made him slow to realize that the entire pit was being incinerated by a terrifying heat.

“Damn it!”

He cursed. There wasn't a second to lose. Taking a running start, he leapt down all at once. His target was the handrail-less stone stairs carved into the earth. Upon landing, he was slammed against the landing. A sickening sound came from his left arm, which he had used to protect himself. It didn't matter; it was a dull, useless limb anyway.

“Sakura-chan! Answer me if you’re safe!”

His voice was drowned out by the ridiculous heat. Still, he couldn't help but shout.

It was a sight as if divine punishment had been handed down. A vein of light carrying enough heat to purify the Matou family's centuries-long nightmare in an instant. However, that light was also threatening to destroy Sakura along with it.

“Where are you—please—”

Ignoring the searing of his flesh and the blood flowing from his torn throat, he simply searched for the girl. Just as despair crossed his mind, thinking it might already be too late—

From the veil of light, an even more radiantly shining figure appeared. Golden armor, golden hair, and crimson eyes. An overwhelming existence composed entirely of gold. Standing in the middle of this purgatory, he hadn't broken a single drop of sweat.

Kariya knew this man. To be precise, he knew of the existence of such a being.

—A Hero. An achiever, a crystal of miracles that the world prides itself on. The embodiment of wisdom, converging the brilliance of an era. When he saw Berserker, he hadn't felt such a thing despite his knowledge. Yet, the Servant before him stood there naturally and serenely, as if standing at the very center of such existences.

Under the arm of this monstrous man, a single girl was being held. The girl he knew well, the one whose happiness he wished for. Now, she was limp and unconscious, held in his grasp.

“Sakura-chan! ...You, what did you do to Sakura-chan!?”

He instantly recalled his consciousness, which had been overwhelmed. This disaster was undoubtedly caused by the man before him. The man's reaction to him was just a glance. Ignoring Kariya, he started to do something—and Berserker crushed the ground.

The insane Berserker left his trigger to the emotions of his summoner. In other words, if Kariya felt rage, Berserker would enter a combat state. Usually, that wouldn't be a bad thing. However, right now, Sakura was right next to the target. And Berserker did not possess the sanity or finesse to stop himself from targeting her.

“Stop—!”

His words did not get to finish. Berserker, who had charged a moment ago, flew past Kariya and slammed into the wall the next instant. It creaked and then spiritualized (dematerialized).

“...Huh?”

He couldn't understand what had happened at all. No, he knew what had been done because he had accidentally synchronized his vision with Berserker.

First, the space behind the man shimmered, and a mountain of needles flew out. Knight of Owner, a Noble Phantasm that turns whatever the user holds into their own possession. It is powerful, but it cannot handle a mountain of small weapons raining down. Although Berserker managed to grab a few, his body was riddled with holes. And as his movements dulled, a giant hammer was slammed into him. That was it.

In terms of parameter as a Heroic Spirit, Berserker should have had the overwhelming victory. Most of his parameters were top-rank, likely the highest in this war. And yet, that Berserker stood no chance. He couldn't even land a single blow.

I cannot win against this Servant—no matter what happens. That fact was carved into him with more than enough force.

But still, even that was not enough to break Kariya's spirit. No kind of terror could break him now. He had been prepared to die for a long time.

—Even if that was nothing more than madness.

"I'm taking this one with me."

The golden Servant’s words might have been a tribute to Kariya, who still showed a defiant spirit.

"Don't screw with me! Give Sakura-chan—"

But that was all. He no longer reacted to Kariya's words and turned his back. Then, the space rippled again, and the man departed on some massive object that emerged.

All that remained was the blown-away Worm Pit. Only Kariya was there. Sakura was gone.

He knelt in the area where the fire had subsided, weeping and screaming. No amount of crying could hide the bitterness of defeat.