Abnormality In Type-Moon: Madness Of Animeverse

"Lord Roy, shall we begin the training?"

After Rin Tohsaka left, Ai Hayasaka sighed in resignation. She gave her face a light pat, adjusted her expression into that of a dutiful maid ready to serve without hesitation, and entered the living room.

She wanted to train Utaha Kasumigaoka as quickly as possible so she could return to Rin's side. Yet, upon stepping into the living room, she found that both Roy and Utaha were already dressed and prepared to go out.

"No need to rush with the training. Let's head to the shopping district first," Roy said, trading his loungewear for a long coat.

"Utaha just arrived yesterday, so the house is missing quite a few essentials. We need to do some shopping. And you, too, Ai—you'll be staying here for a while, so you'll need to pick up some things as well."

Utaha had also changed into a fresh business outfit, though inwardly, she couldn't help but grumble.

How many identical sets of office clothes does this Aozaki household own, anyway?

"…I understand," Ai replied with a nod.

Before long, the three of them were ready to go, locking up the house before heading toward the shopping district.

Fuyuki City—or rather, New Fuyuki City—wasn't very large.

The original city had nearly burned to the ground in the great calamity ten years ago, and New Fuyuki was built atop the ruins. Now, as one of the last four surviving base cities in Japan, New Fuyuki had a population of about 200,000. There weren't many high-rise buildings anymore, and even its busiest commercial district was barely comparable to a small, rural town. But at least the shops carried most of what they needed.

"Lord Roy, may I ask a few questions?" Utaha cautiously glanced at Roy as they walked toward the shopping district.

"Of course. I'll answer what I can," Roy responded without looking back, his tone relaxed and easygoing.

Ai discreetly sized him up from behind—he was wearing glasses, which meant he should be in a reasonable mood.

Having only arrived in this world a few days ago herself, Ai was equally in the dark and perked up her ears to listen.

"You mentioned Misaki City earlier when talking to Mayor Tohsaka. Is it one of the four base cities now?"

"Yes. Fuyuki City, Misaki City, and then there's Tokyo City and Kanbusu City. Those are the four base cities left in Japan."

Both girls furrowed their brows in confusion, falling into thought.

Tokyo City was familiar to them—it was likely the former Tokyo Metropolis. But Fuyuki, Misaki, and Kanbusu were completely foreign names. These must be unique to this world. They wondered if any of the people they knew had also crossed into this bizarre place.

While it was hard to say for the others, perhaps there would be some clues in Tokyo City.

Utaha silently prayed. Her family had lived in Tokyo; she could only hope they hadn't ended up in this strange world.

"I have another question, though it may be a bit bold... What exactly is the Holy Grail War?"

Ai silently nodded in agreement.

She had been serving Rin Tohsaka for over ten days now, and out of caution, she never dared to ask any deep questions. Yet Utaha, who had only arrived a day ago, had the audacity to bring up such a sensitive topic.

Still, Ai couldn't deny that she, too, was extremely curious about the Holy Grail War and the wish-granting Grail. So, she decided to listen closely.

"The Holy Grail War is a type of magical ritual."

"You're probably familiar with the idea of the Holy Grail, right? In Christian legend, it's the cup that Jesus used to serve wine. Many believe it holds miraculous powers, and numerous tales have sprung up around it. Of course, in Europe, there are over two hundred supposed 'real' Grails, with each church claiming theirs is the genuine one. Even if Jesus himself returned, I doubt he could tell which is the real one."

Roy's voice was casual, but then he continued, "The Holy Grail in the Holy Grail War, however, truly possesses extraordinary power—akin to the legendary Grail. If someone obtains it, they could make any wish come true, even immortality."

"To gain that chance, seven Masters are chosen, each summoning a Heroic Spirit to fight. They battle until only one pair remains. This brutal contest is what's called the Holy Grail War."

Utaha and Ai were both left breathless.

A Grail that could grant any wish, even immortality? Seven Masters summoning Heroic Spirits to slaughter each other for it?

The concept was so fantastical that it felt impossible to process.

"Of course," Roy continued, "that's the version spread by the creators of the ritual—the Three Founding Families: Einzbern, Tohsaka, and Matou. The truth is a bit different. While the Grail does possess immense power, it's not omnipotent. The notion that it can grant any wish is a lie propagated by the Founding Families."

"Moreover, the Grail hasn't functioned as a wish-granting device for a long time. The last Holy Grail War, held here in Fuyuki City ten years ago, was the direct cause of the great calamity."

"The cause... of the calamity?"

Utaha's heart skipped a beat.

"Lord Roy, are you saying the event that turned the world into this—the great calamity—was caused by the Holy Grail War?"

Ai's temples throbbed.

Wait, what? The Holy Grail War did this to the world?

And the last one was held right here in Fuyuki City? Suddenly, the ground under her feet felt scorching hot, as if she were walking on fire.

"Yes, the Fourth Holy Grail War was the catalyst. That's widely accepted among magi now."

Roy nodded. "The Grail became corrupted, turning into a 'Black Grail.' Instead of granting wishes, it became a tool for destruction. Someone must have wished for the world's end, and so the Grail obliged. It nearly brought about the total destruction of the world."

That was the source of the great calamity—the one that ravaged the entire globe and ignited a year-long inferno.

Both Utaha and Ai were utterly floored.

It was one thing to have a Grail that could grant wishes, but who in their right mind would wish for the world's destruction?

How much hatred must someone have for the world to do that?

"After the calamity, the Founding Families—Einzbern, Tohsaka, and Matou—were punished by the Mage's Association. The Tohsakas and Matous were stripped of their magical patents, and the Einzberns had to give up their homunculus technology."

"That's it?" Utaha was incredulous. "For causing the end of the world, they got off with just a slap on the wrist?"

Her voice dripped with resentment toward the Founding Families. If it weren't for them, she wouldn't have been reduced to a refugee after being dragged into this world.

Even Ai couldn't help but chime in with a sharp remark.

After the comment slipped out, she quickly remembered that she was serving Rin Tohsaka, the descendant of one of the Founding Families.

I really hope Rin didn't hear that.

"Don't romanticize the Mage's Association. They don't care about humanity's survival. Their concern is only for the preservation of magic. They manage the world simply because humans are necessary to carry on magical traditions."

"…My perception of the magical world has hit rock bottom," Utaha muttered.

"Same here," Ai agreed, their faces reflecting the same helpless frustration.

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