Behind-the-scenes video of the beginning of Honkai.

"I am deeply grateful, respected clan chief."

Pretending to be expressionless, Siegfried lowered his head deeply.

After returning to their room, Siegfried and Cecilia opened the box Otto had given them and were immediately drawn to the items inside.

"I never expected that we could find something like this..."

Siegfried also looked very shocked at this moment, and what was inside was the sword sheath.

Made of gold and adorned with striking and luxurious blue enamel, it is less a weapon and more a treasure, a crown or scepter, that proclaims aristocratic power.

"...Unbelievable, flawless. Is this really an artifact from 1,500 years ago?"

"This thing is just a conceptual weapon. If it were a physical object, it would have been weathered and destroyed long ago. As a relic, it does not require a medium for summoning. It is just a treasure in the realm of magic."

Cecilia also respectfully took out a golden sword sheath from the cabinet and raised it.

"As long as it is equipped, this scabbard can heal its master's wounds and stop the aging of the body, just like in the legends... Of course, this requires the 'true master' to supply it with magic."

"In other words, if used flexibly in conjunction with the summoned Heroic Spirits, the scabbard itself can be considered the Noble Phantasm of the Lord."

Siegfried also learned of its uses and began to think about how to increase his chances of winning.

"It's a pity, though. This relic, being an object of origin, is so perfect that there's no doubt it can summon King Arthur. It's just that my compatibility as the Master might not be quite right. Hmph..."

"So what you're worried about is the contract with the Knight King!"

"Of course, who else could be the least chivalrous person besides me?"

With a hint of mockery, Siegfried revealed a sarcastic smile.

"I am a magician killer. Although I am very strong, I still prefer to use sneak attacks from behind to kill enemies more efficiently and effectively. I'm afraid the noble Knight King will not play along with such a strategy."

Cecilia silently gazed at the flawless gleam of the sword sheath. Indeed, Siegfried was such a warrior, willing to stop at nothing to achieve victory.

It's obvious that he and the person who once wore this scabbard were the least compatible.

"Yes, it's finally here."

A jarringly incongruous, upbeat electronic voice interrupted their conversation as Siegfried walked in, revealing a portable laptop.

In this world where magic is used to combat the collapse, prestigious magical families look down on these scientific technologies, and very few magicians do not resist their use, but Sieg is one of them.

"what is this?"

"This is a report sent to me by the people who infiltrated the London Clock Tower. I have them investigate the Masters involved in this Holy Grail War."

Siegfried returned to his desk and used his preferred hand to operate the keyboard, displaying the newly received email on the LCD screen.

"Four people have been confirmed. For the Tohsaka family, it's undoubtedly the current head of the family, Tohsaka Ryoma. As for the Matou family, it seems they're planning to send a little girl to the battlefield—what a bastard. Among the foreign magi, first is Otto El-Melloi Archibald, a first-class lecturer from the Clock Tower who shares the same name as our clan leader. Then there's someone sent from the Holy Church, a guy named Kotomine Yang, the son of a top-tier executor and overseer, Kotomine Joyce. He started studying under Tohsaka Ryoma three years ago, but broke with his master after receiving Command Seals—that's quite normal among magi."

Siegfried kept scrolling down the screen, browsing the detailed investigation content. After seeing something, Siegfried's face gradually tightened, and he began to show a serious expression.

"What's the problem?"

"This is Father Kotomine's son. His resume is all here, and from this..."

Afterwards, Siegfried also told Cecilia about Yan Feng Yang's resume.

"But something's wrong from here on out. It was three years ago, after he became Ryoma Tohsaka's apprentice, that he seemed like a completely different person. If before he lacked passion for anything, now he's passionate about everything, as if he's found some life goal and is working hard to achieve it. This person must have some unknown trump card; he's a dangerous individual!"

Chapter Ninety-Three: The First Heroic Spirit

"He used to believe in nothing, and went through all that just to find the answer, but in the end, he found nothing. This kind of person is a complete nihilist."

"Now he has an unknown goal. Something must have happened during this time that made him willing to risk his life to pursue the Holy Grail. But what exactly is it? Fear stems from the unknown."

Seeing Siegfried's somber sigh, Cecilia shook her head vigorously and said in an evasive tone, "The Holy Grail I prepared will never be given to anyone else. When the Holy Grail is full, only you, Siegfried, will be able to hold it."

Perhaps the Einzbern family only had one wish: to complete the Holy Grail. But in the eyes of this young couple, there was a more urgent desire.

Siegfried closed his laptop and hugged Cecilia.

"No matter what happens, I will not lose, not only for you, but also for our child!"

At this moment, Cecilia was more willing to choose the path of sharing the same ideals as her husband than to pursue her own family's wishes, and this fact illuminated his heart.

"I've figured out a way to use the strongest Servant to achieve the greatest effect."

Meanwhile, on the Far East, across the ocean, a man like Siegfried Emiya was receiving reports from spies sent to infiltrate England. This man was none other than Ryoma Tohsaka.

Upon receiving the report, Ryoma Tohsaka picked up the still-wet paper and began to peruse the contents, word by word.

"The latest report from the Clock Tower: Sir El-Melloi has obtained a new relic, which confirms his participation. Hmph, he's a rival now. So, there are five confirmed Masters now, including us."

"It's not normal that two people are still missing now."

"No, it just means there aren't any suitable Command Seals to receive. When the time comes, the Holy Grail will gather seven people regardless of the circumstances, but we still need to be careful."

Even with the help of Kotomine Yang, Ryoma Tohsaka still dared not let his guard down.

"But Yang, how many years have you been following me?"

"It's been three years, what happened, teacher!"

"Yang, tell me honestly, what is your desire in pursuing the Holy Grail?"

"Teacher, I..."

"Don't tell me you have no wishes. I would have believed you if it were the old you, but I noticed you were different three years ago. Compared to when we first met, your eyes were devoid of passion, but now they are full of passion for life. So tell me honestly what your wishes are?"

The scene fell silent, but it was Yan Feng Yang who broke the silence in the end.

"If the teacher wants to know, I can tell you!"

Then, Yanfeng Yang excitedly continued, "My wish is to transform the human world into a paradise where everyone is happy!"

"...Your wish is truly magnificent!"

Ryoma Tohsaka was at a loss for words. He figured even the Holy Grail couldn't grant this wish, but judging from Yang's eyes, he was probably telling the truth. This wish was indeed befitting his status as a clergyman; if the Holy Church knew, they'd probably think he'd gained another devout believer.

"Leader, your wish in the parallel world is truly grand!"

Thunder Dragon Horse stared at Welt Yang in shock. As expected of our leader of Anti-Entropy, he is a hero in both this world and parallel worlds!

"I never imagined that I, in a parallel universe, would have such a wish!"

Walter Young was also somewhat surprised. He had prepared himself for the parallel world version of himself to be a villain, but he never expected such a big twist.

"However, Yang, while your wish in the parallel world is good, I always feel it's a bit unrealistic. After all, turning the human world into paradise feels a bit like chuunibyou (middle school syndrome)!"

Einstein's wish for Yang in a parallel universe reflects a pessimistic outlook.

"I never imagined that you, Walter, would uphold your sense of justice so strongly in a parallel world, transforming humanity into a paradise where everyone is happy. How laughable!"

Otto rejected Walter Young's wish, arguing that as long as humans exist, the world can never become paradise, and that human desires are limitless, making the world a paradise is simply impossible.

"A conscious desire to turn the world into paradise? That only exists in dreams!"

Kevin neither opposes nor supports idealists like Welt Young. After all, reality is cruel. In any case, once the Stigmata Project succeeds, the Honkai will also be successfully overcome, and humanity will be reborn.

"Alright, I won't comment on your wish. I can hand over the Holy Grail to you after I win the Holy Grail War. All I need is to get to the hole in the Imaginary Tree. If you want to make this wish, then support me in winning the Holy Grail!"

"Okay, teacher!"

"We'll talk about this later. Just be careful. But Yang, did anyone see you when you entered my house? You know, we're still enemies on the surface."

As arranged by Ryoma Tohsaka, they deliberately released the distorted truth: Kotomine Yang had been chosen by the Holy Grail three years ago, but as instructed by Ryoma Tohsaka, he had carefully hidden the mark on his right hand until this month when he revealed the fact that he had obtained the Command Seals.

After that, he pretended to be a fellow contender for the Holy Grail and broke ties with Ryoma.

"Rest assured, whether visible or invisible, there are no familiars or magical devices monitoring this house, this..."

"I can guarantee that."

As a third voice entered, a black shadow, its distorted form appearing and disappearing beside Yan Fengyang, began to emerge.

Previously, it had been accompanying Kotomine Yang in spirit form, but now it has materialized and appeared before Ryoma.

The slender figure possessed Honkai energy far beyond that of humans, clearly indicating that he was an inhuman being. He wore a long black robe, his face was covered with a white skull mask, and his body resembled a puppet; he could be described as a monster.

That's right, he was the first Servant summoned before the Fourth Holy Grail War, who made a contract with Kotomine Yang to serve as an assassin. His name was Hassan Domination, and according to Yang, his Spirit Origin was a fusion of the Hundred-Faced Hassan, the nineteenth leader of the Assassination Order who inherited the name "Hassan-Sabbah" from the Old Man of the Mountain, and a future Servant. He had a thousand clones, but because his Spirit Origin was divided into a thousand parts, they were all very weak.

"Such deceptive tricks cannot fool the heroic spirit of Hassan, the assassin. With me by my lord Yang's side, I have indeed not discovered any trace of being followed or monitored. Please rest assured."

Because he knew that Ryoma was Master Kotomine Yang's partner, and even had a relationship similar to that of an alliance leader, the assassin bowed respectfully as he reported.

Chapter Ninety-Four: Mei Tohsaka

Then Kotomine Yang continued, "However, as soon as the Heroic Spirit summoned by the Holy Grail appears, my father can immediately and accurately know which profession he belongs to."

As the overseer of the Holy Grail War, Father Joyce, now dispatched by the Priestess to the Church of Changkong City, possesses a magical artifact given to him by the Church called the "Spirit Plate," which has the function of displaying the attributes of Heroic Spirits.

As the overseer of the Holy Grail War, Father Joyce, who has now been dispatched to the Changkong City Church as the executive priest, possesses a magical artifact given to him by the church called the "Spirit Plate," which has the function of displaying the attributes of Heroic Spirits.

"According to my father, the only Servant that has been summoned so far is my assassin Hassan Domination. The other mages are far from being able to take action."

"Hmm, is that so? But it's only a matter of time. Soon this house will be surrounded by familiars placed by other Masters, because this place, like the Matou residence and the Einzbern family villa, has been identified as a Master's base."

The advantage that outside magicians had over the three great families lay in their covert presence. Therefore, in the early stages of the Holy Grail War, each of the three families had spies stationed at their gates, waging a fierce intelligence war.

However, Kotomine Yang didn't completely trust Ryoma Tohsaka's intelligence network. After all, he had been preparing for three whole years to fulfill his wish of creating Paradise, and he couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

This is also why Kotomine Yang chose to summon assassin Servants in order to deal with other strategic enemies.

"It's all right here, Hassan. You continue to keep watch outside, but be extremely careful."

"As ordered."

After receiving instructions from Yan Feng, Hassan once again vanished into the void, disappearing from the house.

Essentially, followers who are spiritual beings can flexibly and freely transform between physical and non-physical forms.

Assassins possess a unique ability not found in other professions: the ability to stealthily hold their breath. Once they disappear, no one can track them, except for some Servants with high perception.

For Kotomine Yang, who wasn't entirely dedicated to helping Ryoma Tohsaka, summoning an assassin was the best option.

Firstly, Yang Kotomine's assassins can gather intelligence, thoroughly investigate the combat and action plans of all other Masters, as well as the weaknesses of Servants, and so on, and can also help him complete his own plans.

After writing out a foolproof plan for each enemy, have Ryoma Tohsaka lead the charge with his Servants, and be prepared to adapt to any unforeseen circumstances.

Of course, all of this is based on the premise that Ryoma Tohsaka will summon a powerful Servant, but Yang has no idea which Servant he will choose.

"The relic I was looking for was delivered this morning."