My family runs an adventurer's guild.

However, what flows here is not the blood of cattle and sheep, but the blood of humans!

Of the four family members who once lived in this apartment, three have been brutally mutilated and dismembered. Only a young boy, gagged and bound with rope, remains, left in a corner by the killer, staring with terrified eyes at the remains of his parents and sister.

The murderer who committed all these crimes, a young man with short orange hair and wearing a leopard-print coat, was humming a lively tune and collecting the victim's still-warm blood into a basin on the floor with a bright, sunny smile.

He is Ryunosuke Uryu, a cheerful and optimistic young man with a keen eye for subtle nuances in others' feelings. He is easygoing and always maintains a positive and constructive attitude. He doesn't give up easily, possesses a strong curiosity and thirst for knowledge, and earnestly enjoys life.

—However, his interests were rather peculiar: torture, murder, and the creation of human specimens, and he felt no moral guilt whatsoever about them.

In short, Ryunosuke Uryu was a perverted and grotesque killer.

When Ryunosuke Uryu was still very young, he killed his older sister with his own hands, skinned her, and tanned her into a beautiful doll.

It's not that Ryunosuke Uryu suffered any trauma during his childhood that caused his personality to become distorted, but rather that it was a kind of innate nature that is difficult to explain logically.

Ryunosuke Uryu was a born criminal. He was born to kill and lived to pursue the thrill of killing. He was never insane and retained his rationality. He killed because he wanted to kill, just like humans eating meat, it was simply a matter of instinct.

It's probably like how zoologists in the past liked to hunt rare birds and animals, then skin and preserve them.

Well, aside from not eating human flesh, his psychology and mindset are probably similar to those "ghouls" in Tokyo Ghoul who live by hunting and eating human flesh!

However, hunting humans is ultimately different from hunting wild animals, not to mention that the location of Ryunosuke Uryu's murders was not a turbulent war zone where human life was cheap, but a peaceful country like Japan that had been far removed from war for half a century.

Therefore, in order to avoid being arrested by the police and losing the pleasure of killing, Ryunosuke Uryu has been committing crimes in various places. He is a genius among geniuses when it comes to hiding evidence and disrupting investigations.

First of all, Ryunosuke Uryu is a carefree killer with no plan, and the sheer chaos of his actions is enough to leave the police search completely in a maze.

Secondly, although he killed many people, he never took the victims' property. He usually made a living by working hard, so he never gave himself away by selling stolen goods.

As a result, despite having killed far more people than Jack the Ripper in 19th-century London, he has not been caught by the police and has not even been included in the suspect list.

However, this time in Fuyuki City, Ryunosuke Uryu broke his usual rule of never killing someone twice in the same place, committing four crimes in Fuyuki City in a row—because he wanted to prepare a ritual to summon a "demon" according to the records in an old book he found at home.

This is an old Japanese-style bound book riddled with wormholes, and it's not a printed book; it's likely a personal journal. The date inside is Keio 9 (1668). It appears to have been written over a hundred years ago, during the late Edo period.

The content is absurd and nonsensical, like sorcery—offering human bodies as sacrifices to demons in another world in order to summon shikigami, etc. It's practically a fantasy novel.

—In fact, this is a magic notebook about the Holy Grail War, because Ryunosuke Uryu's ancestors once had magicians.

However, in the course of subsequent historical changes, the knowledge about magic seemed to have been lost in the Uryu family for some reason. Therefore, from the perspective of a magician, although Uryu Ryunosuke had innate magical talent, he had not received any related education and did not even know about the existence of the "inner world".

However, although he didn't fully understand what was described in this ancestral book, Ryunosuke didn't care at all about the authenticity of its contents. He simply thought it was cool, suited his taste, and filled him with enthusiasm and motivation.

Demons! They are truly terrifying beings that humans fear. Although we don't know if they actually exist, if they do, they must know many more ways to kill. Otherwise, why would humans be afraid of them?

Ryunosuke quickly moved his base to the "Land of Spirit Veins" described in the book and resumed his killing spree of hunting living people.

Although he didn't know what kind of magical place was in this land now called Fuyuki City, Ryunosuke was still prepared to perform the bloody ritual to summon the "demon" strictly according to the records in the ancient book.

According to the book, the main ingredient of this ritual is human blood, a large amount of human blood.

As a result, Ryunosuke committed four crimes in Fuyuki City.

The ritual failed the first three times due to insufficient human blood. This time, he killed three people as sacrifices, finally gathering enough blood. Hmm, there's one little guy left, just enough to serve as offering to the demon.

"...I failed the previous times. I wonder if I can succeed today. I never thought my ancestor would research something like summoning demons. Tsk tsk tsk, that really surprised me... I used so much human blood this time, I hope there won't be any more problems!"

Standing cautiously beside the basin filled with blood, Ryunosuke picked up a worn-out notebook and began chanting a spell.

"...Full, full, full, full...and so on, then four? Hmm, that doesn't seem right, it should be five times."

While holding the book, he used one foot, stained with blood, to draw a magic circle on the floor.

"...Fill it up, fill it up, fill it up, fill it up, fill it up! Okay, that's five times now, so what's next?..."

As Ryunosuke flipped through the book, he recited the incantation to summon the Heroic Spirit in a nonsensical and absurd tone that would infuriate any orthodox magician in the Type-Moon world.

Then, a turbulent airflow suddenly arose from the room, blowing everything inside into disarray.

Immediately afterwards, a small figure covered in fine scales, but with a head resembling that of a domestic dog, appeared in the center of the slightly shimmering magic circle.

—Such a distorted ritual, a distorted summoning incantation, and Ryunosuke, a complete novice with only inherited magical genes, managing to complete the summoning ritual—this is truly an exception among exceptions. Or perhaps the Holy Grail system couldn't wait any longer and had to haphazardly gather people to fill the quota.

In any case, even after obtaining Command Seals and Servants, Ryunosuke did not realize that he was participating in a "war" or gladiatorial combat, nor did he know that there were six other magicians doing the same thing as him. He only thought that he was performing a black magic ritual to summon "demons".

Even basic knowledge about the Holy Grail War, such as the ability to forcibly control Heroic Spirits using Command Seals on one's arm, was completely unknown to Ryunosuke.

This extreme ignorance doomed him to tragedy from the very beginning.

Then, in his expectant and excited gaze, the "demon" from the world of swords and magic, or rather the kobold slave sorcerer Quark, descended upon the place as a Caster, wielding a white bone wand made from a human thigh bone.

—At this point, all seven Servants participating in the Fourth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City have been summoned and are ready to fight each other…

Chapter 36, Heroic Spirits Gather, Mounts Summoned! (Part Two)

Class (Rank): Caster

Real name: Quark Redstone

Race: Kobold

Sex: Male

Height/Weight: 80 cm / 16 kg

Faction: Order/Evil

Strength: C

Durability: C

Agility: A

Magic Power: A (It didn't originally have this much magic power, but it received a bonus from the Caster class).

Lucky: D

Class Skills:

Position composition:

You can build your own magic workshop and engage in positional warfare with the enemy.

Skills:

Instant-cast immobilization spell:

Quark's most frequently used spell when he was a referee in the arena was used to pause the match between gladiators. He gained an instant cast bonus after being summoned.

Noble Phantasm:

Bone Wand:

The wand, made from a human thigh bone, is extremely suitable for casting necromancy; if a spearhead is attached, it can also serve as a short spear.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

"...Woof! Are you my summons, Master? Woof!"

Looking at the short, ugly, and strange figure of the kobold sorcerer in the blood magic circle, and hearing his questions mixed with barking, Ryunosuke Uryu was momentarily at a loss for words.

According to his preconceived notions, what should emerge from this blood-drawn summoning circle should be an enormous monster. And the one that emerged was certainly not human. But… even if it was a demon, wasn't it far too small?

Standing only 70 or 80 centimeters tall, with a thin and small build, one might mistake her for a kindergarten child, or even a child in the youngest class.

How should I put it? It's like a kindergarten holding a monster festival and having the kids wear monster costumes.

This is completely different from the demon he imagined! It doesn't look scary at all, does it?

The summoning spell yielded such a result, leaving Ryunosuke Uryu feeling extremely frustrated.

However, he was also well aware that since the magic circle he had drawn was only so small, it certainly couldn't summon a Godzilla.

So, after scratching his head slightly, Ryunosuke Uryu was mentally prepared and answered, "...Yes, that's right! Mr. Devil, it was I who summoned you here."

Let me introduce myself. My name is Ryunosuke Uryu, and I'm currently a freelancer. My hobby is murder, and I like children and young girls.

By the way, is that stick you're holding made of human bone? It looks really cool!

However, the kobold warlock Quark simply nodded, ignoring everything he said except for his name.

"...Very good, the contract is established! Master! So, is this your base?"

He looked around the apartment, a dissatisfied and critical expression on his face. "...It doesn't look very good, woof!"

"...Outpost? Ah, no. This is someone else's house. I just used their blood to draw a magic circle to summon you."

Ryunosuke replied, "...We can't stay here for too long. I have a secret base in the sewers. You can move there with me..."

He thought his answer was perfectly appropriate, but little did he know that the word "sewer" had seriously touched a nerve with Quark.

—Before being summoned, the kobold warlock Quark had just disrupted the lord's inauguration ceremony by causing a methane explosion while cleaning the sewers. He was nearly killed on the spot, and after finally managing to crawl out of the ground, he was imprisoned by the fierce guards...

Therefore, for Quark, who was still in shock, Ryunosuke's suggestion was like bringing up a sore spot.

"...The sewers? You actually want me to crawl into the sewers?! Woof! Damn it! Do you know how much I hate that place? Freeze me! Woof!"

Before Ryunosuke Uryu could react, a beam of green light shot from the tip of Quark's bone wand, striking the gleeful killer squarely on the forehead.

The next moment, Ryunosuke Uryu found himself losing control of his body, unable to move even a finger. He could only watch helplessly as the little monster in front of him raised his white bone wand high and lashed it down on him!

"...The sewer! (pulls out) The sewer! (pulls out) Say 'sewer' again!! (pulls out)"

After thoroughly beating Ryunosuke Amusei into a pulp, the kobold Quark finally let out a sigh of relief.

"...Phew! It feels so good to be able to beat someone up! Well then, it's no longer your business, woof! [Dominate Humanity]!"

Another mysterious ray of light shone into Ryunosuke Uryuu's forehead, instantly turning his terrified and angry eyes into a blank stare.

The next moment, Quark had just lifted the immobilization spell on him, and Ryunosuke Uryu obediently knelt down, "...As you command, Master."

Seeing his master, who had summoned him, so easily become his puppet, the kobold slave warlock Quark felt boundless pleasure.

—After arriving in this other world, I'm finally free from being a slave!

However, before he could enjoy the pleasure of "the slave becoming the master" for long, his thoughts were disrupted by noise from the corner.

Looking up, he saw that it was the last survivor of this family of four. The little boy, who was tied up tightly and gagged, finally came to his senses from fear and numbness, noticed Quark, the dog-headed man who was not human, and subconsciously began to struggle and cry.

"...Waaaaah, waaaaah! (Monster! Monster!)"

And so, he immediately received the kobold warlock's fatal blow, "...So noisy! [Death Finger]!"

Impatient Quark casually chanted a spell, pointed his finger, and a pale gray ray of light shot out from his fingertip, hitting the little boy squarely in the chest.

The next moment, the little boy's face turned deathly gray, his eyes rolled back, and his entire body stopped moving.

However, Quark's expression suddenly became somewhat strange, as if he was surprised by how easy the spellcasting process was.

He looked down and examined his fingers for a moment before trying to cast another spell, "...[Disintegration]".

Then, another green light shone from his fingertips, instantly turning the little boy's still-warm body into ashes.

Seeing the spell successfully cast, the kobold warlock Quark was incredibly excited. "...Woof! That's amazing! High-level spells that I couldn't use before can now be cast very easily...Is this the bonus effect of the Caster class?"

He snapped his fingers excitedly, turned to Ryunosuke, and said, "...Come with me! Human, lead the way! We're going to have a big fight!"

Ryunosuke Uryu (looking completely bewildered): "...Huh?"

Chapter 37, Heroic Spirits Gather, Mounts Summoned! (Part 3)

Unlike Ryunosuke Uryu, a crazy and happy killer, Quark was just a normal bandit before he became a slave.

Well, not the kind of sleazy bandits in the slums of big cities who pretend to be law-abiding citizens and then go out in the dead of night wearing black hoods to ambush drunkards, but the kobold robbers who openly operate in the western wilderness beyond the borders of the civilized world, killing and robbing every day.

Every day they either robbed passing caravans and colonial villages, or raided barbarian tribes, capturing savages and selling them as slaves.

However, most of the time, the kobold thieves didn't need to kill anyone with their swords drawn. They could simply stand by the roadside with their swords and hang up their rather intimidating monster banners, and passing merchants would obediently pay a protection fee.

Having awakened his warlock talent, Quark was a highly respected leader in the kobold bandit gang. Even if he did nothing all day, he could still enjoy the tributes from his henchmen, and he had married several wives and fathered a large number of kobolds, living a very comfortable life.

However, happy days are always short-lived.

After decades of roaming freely and rampaging across the wilderness west of the Great Cliff, Quark's kobold bandit gang finally faced the punitive expedition from the Golden Dragon Kingdom, led by a Golden Dragon prince himself.

Faced with the giant dragon hovering overhead and the dragon's might as a storm, these kobold bandits, who were born with the "aura of turning their legs weak at the sight of dragons," instantly became spineless. After receiving a promise that they could all be spared, they shamefully abandoned their weapons and surrendered.

Quark's wife and children were pardoned, but he himself was sentenced to be a bond slave by the court for committing too many crimes, and he had to serve a twenty-year sentence before regaining his freedom—as of now, he still has ten years of hard labor to endure.

Therefore, Quark simply cannot comprehend the logic of a happy killer like Ryunosuke Uryuu:

Enjoying the thrill of killing? Killing without taking the money?

They killed so many families, yet they still have to work for others and live in poverty.

What an incredibly stupid person would do that!

According to the evaluation given to Ryunosuke Uryu by the kobold warlock Quark, it was simply "a jerk messing around!"