The Ultimate Lich King of the Multiverse

Do feelings really fade with time?

Yoru had heard that sentiment long ago. And after arriving in this world due to an accident, he had once asked himself: would he eventually forget Riveria as time went on?

Especially now that he had married and had a child with another woman in this world.

In the blink of an eye, nine years had passed. Yoru had been living a peaceful life here. Though the Holy Grail War was fast approaching, Heide showed no sign of tension. The old man was rarely seen, spending most of his time shut away in his room.

Aside from the fact that they never left the Einzbern estate, everything else was relatively calm. Irisviel showed no signs of wanting to leave, and Yoru clearly had no intention of wandering this world either.

There were many reasons for that. For one, Yoru wanted to stay by Irisviel's side and had no desire to travel. Also, Heide had warned him that this world was dangerous—there were many powerful magi, and it would be unwise to expose himself before the war began.

At present, aside from Kiritsugu Emiya, no one in the outside world even knew of Yoru's existence. And Kiritsugu was certainly not the type to spread that kind of information around.

In fact, Kiritsugu had likely already labeled Yoru as his greatest threat—an opponent to be analyzed carefully, never exposed to others.

In the Holy Grail War, there were no true enemies or allies. Everyone could be a friend, and everyone could be an enemy.

That was the nature of the Holy Grail War. Fighting alone was a recipe for defeat. Often, the strongest individual would be ganged up on by the others and eliminated early.

Time passed quickly. Now, only a year remained until the Holy Grail War. By all rights, the Command Seals—the markings that signified the Grail's selection—should have already appeared on the back of Yoru's hand.

But strangely, they hadn't appeared at all.

"When a powerful magical crest appears on your right hand, it means you've been chosen by the Holy Grail. That is the 'Command Seal,' a symbol that grants you the right to command a Servant."

Heide explained calmly in his usual smooth and measured tone.

It had been nine years since Yoru first arrived in this world, and this was only the second time Heide had explained the details of the Holy Grail War to him.

They were in Heide's room—a place Yoru had never entered until now. He couldn't help but feel slightly suffocated by the atmosphere. The room was filled with jars of formaldehyde-preserved, unidentifiable biological specimens and strange creatures mounted as trophies.

"Why hasn't the Command Seal appeared on my hand yet?" Yoru asked, puzzled.

Heide slowly shook his head.

"The issue most likely lies within you… The Holy Grail's selection of Masters isn't necessarily based on fixed criteria. The Grail War is essentially a battle fought by commanding summoned Servants, and to win, one must possess at least basic magecraft. Normally, the seven Masters chosen by the Grail should all be magi. But exceptions happen—sometimes, someone with no magical ability at all is selected over a qualified mage."

"So… are you saying someone else stole my right to become a Master?"

Heide shook his head again and continued his explanation.

"Not quite. There's still an entire year left before the Holy Grail War begins. At this stage, only a few Masters should have been selected. Logically, magi affiliated with the Three Founding Families—the Makiri clan, now known as Matou, the Einzberns, and the Tohsaka family—should have priority in receiving Command Seals."

"But I…"

Yoru murmured, staring at the empty back of his hand, once again falling into confusion.

"That's why the issue lies with you. The Holy Grail only acknowledges those with deep desire and powerful conviction. It could be that… you don't want it badly enough. Has your life in this world caused you to forget your original home?"

There was a hint of disappointment in Heide's tone.

He had believed he'd made the right bet this time, but now it seemed Yoru still hadn't earned the Grail's recognition.

Without a burning desire or unwavering conviction, how could one possibly win the war?

The Holy Grail War wasn't child's play. Without sufficient resolve, an early defeat was all but certain.

Clearly, it was now too late for the Einzberns to find a replacement Master for this upcoming war. Their only hope lay in the next Holy Grail War.

Heide couldn't help but sigh at the thought.

Still, there was one silver lining—Yoru had given the Einzbern family an exceptionally powerful child.

For Irisviel, an artificial human, bearing children was incredibly difficult. Naturally conceiving a child with her was nearly impossible.

But that posed no obstacle for Heide, an alchemical master. He had extracted Yoru's blood and used homunculus-creation techniques to forcibly craft a child from Yoru and Irisviel.

Though called their "child," it would be more accurate to call the result a clone of Irisviel.

Yoru's blood did not disappoint. The moment the child was born, the delivery room was nearly frozen solid. Had Yoru not intervened in time, the frost might've engulfed the entire Einzbern castle.

Heide was overjoyed when he later examined the child. Born with forty-nine magic circuits and a powerful affinity for Yoru's ice magic, this child held enormous potential. Heide firmly believed that, given time, he could raise the boy into a true magician—one who surpassed the realm of mere magecraft.

Because Yoru had brought such a valuable legacy to the Einzbern family, Heide had always treated him with the utmost respect. Even if Yoru failed to contribute much in the upcoming Holy Grail War, Heide wasn't especially anxious.

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