The Ultimate Lich King of the Multiverse

Roughly 30 kilometers west of the bustling streets of Fuyuki City…

There lies a national highway running east to west, cutting through a mountain region far from any village and seldom visited by people. Dense forests line both sides of this road—forests seemingly forgotten by the fever of land development.

The land likely belongs to the state, but records list it under the name of a foreign-owned private enterprise—an enterprise whose actual existence is still unverified. The first thing to raise eyebrows during an investigation of this area would be a strange urban legend.

According to the legend, deep within these dense woods lies a "mythical city."

Of course, this is nothing more than a silly ghost story. While the forest remains undeveloped, it's only about an hour's drive from Fuyuki's urban center. If such a strange castle truly existed, it would've already become widely known. In fact, several land surveys have been conducted over the years, but none have found any trace of artificial structures.

Yet, every few years, someone brings up the tale again.

A group of kids wanders into the forest for a mix of fun and adventure. A lost hiker stumbles into the mist. They claim to have seen a majestic stone castle suddenly appear through the fog—completely abandoned, yet fully furnished, and eerily well-kept, as though someone had been living there. An unnerving place shrouded in mystery.

Naturally, no one believes such a legend. It's the sort of content that fills a single page in a tabloid's summer horror feature when there's no real news to report.

But only a handful of magi know the truth:

This castle is real.

It only welcomes its master once every 60 years—for the sole purpose of joining the Holy Grail War. It is a magus' fortress.

Covered by layers of illusions and magical barriers, the castle almost never reveals itself unless by rare accident. This space is a true anomaly. Those who know of its existence call the forest surrounding it "Einzbern Forest."

As the Holy Grail War raged on in Fuyuki, the head of the Einzbern family, Jubstacheit von Einzbern, believed establishing a base on enemy Tohsaka land was ill-advised. So, he leveraged the family's immense wealth to purchase the spiritual land closest to Fuyuki, making it the family's stronghold. This happened on the eve of the Third Holy Grail War, right before World War II broke out.

This vast, primeval forest was completely sealed off by magical barriers, and the Einzberns transferred their entire castle into it. The scale of their wealth and obsession with the Grail far exceeded anything the Tohsaka family could muster—who had to negotiate endlessly and work in secret just to obtain property in Fuyuki. By comparison, the Einzberns' moves were almost laughably grand.

At dawn, after a full night's rest, Yoru (叶御) and Irisviel awoke. Surprisingly, Flandre, despite being a Servant, was still in bed.

Yoru didn't disturb the sleeping girl—he already knew her true nature.

The Scarlet family was no ordinary bloodline. It was a clan of vampires, meaning Flandre herself was one.

Naturally, vampires are nocturnal beings, preferring to rest during the day and become active at night.

Of course, Flandre could operate in daylight if she wanted to—but as the girl herself put it, "Daytime is just too lazy... sleeping feels better."

While chatting over a finely prepared breakfast, the couple heard a news broadcast from the nearby radio:

"Terrorist attack hits Fuyuki's Hyatt Hotel. The entire building has been reduced to rubble by the assailants."

Yoru paused, putting down his utensils and muttering the news aloud.

"That… wouldn't be his doing, would it?"

Hearing this, Irisviel's expression turned concerned.

"Ah… it's likely his work. That Magus Killer."

Yoru nodded lightly. Based on the direction Lancer disappeared the night before, it wasn't hard to figure out where his Master had been hiding.

Add to that the intelligence gathered yesterday—they had learned the Master was from the prestigious Archibald family of the Clock Tower. A genius magus and the ninth head of a long-running bloodline.

A man with that much pride would never stay in a common inn, so it was logical to assume that the most luxurious hotel in Fuyuki—the Hyatt—was his base of operations.

Still, to blow up the entire building… the sheer ruthlessness of the Magus Killer, Kiritsugu Emiya, made Yoru click his tongue in disbelief.

This kind of opponent—one who had no limits—was the most terrifying kind. You could never predict what they would do next.

"Iri… over the next few days, make sure to stay by my side. I guarantee he'll try to use you as my weakness and exploit that."

Yoru said seriously. Irisviel nodded obediently.

"As things stand now, we're in a strong position. Thanks to a deliberate misdirection, almost everyone believes Flandre is a Caster."

A Caster adept at territory creation, hiding deep within the barrier-laced Einzbern Forest… anyone would find that kind of fortress daunting. No one would dare invade anytime soon.

"Of the seven Servants, Assassin has already been eliminated by Archer. Saber and Lancer will likely clash again. Excluding the real, unknown Caster, our biggest threats are Rider and Archer."

Yoru shrugged, smiling.

"Even though their personalities are a bit annoying, both of them are kings. They shouldn't be the type to stoop to cheap ambush tactics against a little girl, right?"

"And in a fair fight, as a Berserker, Flandre won't lose to anyone."

Yoru said this with total confidence—every word steeped in complete trust in Flandre.

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