Super God: If I punch you, you will die

The prize awarded to the victor of the Holy Grail War—the "Holy Grail," fought over by seven groups of mages and Heroic Spirits, possessing the power to instantly grant any wish—is, in reality merely a vessel for storing the souls of deceased Servants and a necessary device for achieving the Third Magic—to stabilize the magical channel between the "Great Grail" and the mortal world.

Until the third Holy Grail War, the Lesser Grail was, as the name suggests, a "cup," an object possessing the power of a relic. However, because the Lesser Grail was damaged in the battle during the third war, the ritual was terminated, and it subsequently became a self-governing form.

After the Third Holy Grail War, the Einzbern family learned from the repeated destruction of the Holy Grail in previous Holy Grail Wars and turned the Lesser Grail into a "homo-human" that could move freely.

After the Fourth Holy Grail War, Zouken Matou implanted a fragment of the Lesser Grail into Sakura Matou's body.

0018 Alliance [Please Subscribe]

"There's something I just can't understand. You weren't just almost killed, you were killed, right? And yet you actually managed to come back to life, Lin Yan."

Lin Yan did not answer his question directly, but said, "You'll find out when the time comes."

Rin Tohsaka didn't seem to intend to pursue the matter further, so she continued.

"Do you understand? Let me elaborate a bit more. I'm not entirely sure what the Holy Grail War is either. The only thing I'm certain of is that it happens every few decades, and seven masters are chosen to receive various Servants from them."

"I was also one of those chosen as masters. So I made a contract with my Servant, and you made a contract with Saber. Please think of your Servant as a familiar given by the Holy Grail to win the Holy Grail War. Then, as masters, we must cooperate with our Servants to eliminate other masters, that's how it is... You might wonder why Saber looks like a human. But while familiars and Servants are divided into those categories, their status is different. After all, over there she is the strongest Heroic Spirit among familiars."

"So it really is a ghost?"

Heroic spirits are the souls of heroes who died in the past. They remain in the world as heroic spirits after death. However, heroic spirits have no physical form; the damage they suffer is only to their spiritual body.

Ultimately, they are different from real humans.

"While ghosts may resemble them, anyone who mistakes Saber for that kind of thing will be killed by her. This is because Servants are past heroes who have gained physical bodies, beings close to elves, and beings that transcend humanity."

"A past hero who has regained his physical body?"

"Yes. Whether in the past or present, the point is to bring back legendary heroes who have died and make them materialize."

"However, it is the master's task to call it out; the Holy Grail will handle the subsequent materialization."

"King Arthur?"

"I thought you knew nothing, but it seems I was wrong..." Rin Tohsaka said. However, this was a good thing, since no one wanted to cooperate with someone who had no power. "Please consider it a phenomenon caused by the Holy Grail. Otherwise, it would be impossible to solidify and reproduce the soul."

"The reappearance of the soul... So, are Servants different from ghosts?"

"It's different. Whether it's human, animal, or machine, as long as they leave behind great achievements, they will break free from the cycle of reincarnation and ascend to a higher level. Haven't you heard of that? Heroic Spirits are like that. Simply put, they become revered, pseudo-gods."

"Spirit summoning or necromancy. Those kinds of soul-dealing magics borrow a portion of the Heroic Spirit's power to create miracles, right? But this Servant is a familiar directly connected to the Heroic Spirit's body. So although they basically stay by your side in spirit form, they can materialize to fight if necessary."

"Um, so you're using the separate spiritual and physical forms? I can't see Tohsaka's Servant, is she a spirit now?"

"No, that guy is healing in my summoning circle. He was just defeated by Saber, right? If we had been forced to evacuate any later, he would have been beheaded."

"Listen carefully, only Servants who are also spirits can defeat a Servant. Of course, if the opponent is a physical entity, our attacks can also hit, so if all goes well, we might be able to defeat them. However, all Servants are like monsters, right? So let the monsters deal with the monsters, and the Master should provide support from the rear—that's the rule."

0019 Heroic Spirit [Please Subscribe]

"In short, the one who becomes the master must use the summoned familiars to defeat the other masters. Do you understand this part?"

"I understand what you mean. But I don't agree. Who started this low-class thing, and why?"

"That's not something I should know, and I can't answer you. You'll have to ask the guy overseeing the Holy Grail War about that someday. What I need to teach you is that you can only fight now, and that Servants are very strong familiars, so you need to use them well. That's all." Rin Tohsaka looked at Saber and said, "You seem to be in an incomplete state, Saber. Because you were summoned by an apprentice magus who didn't have a master's understanding."

"Yes. Just like you said, I'm not completely safe. Because Lin Yan doesn't have the magic to make me materialize, it would be difficult to turn back into a spirit or recover my magic."

"I was surprised. Although the situation was serious, I didn't expect you to be so honest. I was just trying to figure out how to find your weakness from your words."

"Although it wasn't my intention to let the enemy see my weaknesses, it won't fool you. Hiding our trump cards is pointless, right? So, it's better to let you know this way, so that Lin Yan can have a deeper understanding of the current situation."

"Correct. The style is perfect too. It's such a pity. If I were Saber's master, it would be like winning this great war."

"Tohsaka, are you saying I'm not good enough?"

"Of course... no... I think it's time to go now that I've finished talking."

Where are you going?

"You want to see the guy who really knows about the Holy Grail War that got you involved in. Lin Yan, you want to know the reason for the Holy Grail War, right?"

"Of course. But where is it? It's already this late, and it's too far away."

"No problem, it's in a neighboring town, so if we hurry, we can be back before dawn. And it's Sunday tomorrow, so staying up late is fine, right?"

No, that's not the problem.

"What, you're not going? If that's what you're saying, then it's fine, Saber?"

"Wait a minute, this has nothing to do with Saber. Don't force her."

"You've already shown the awareness of being the master, and you don't like me talking to Saber?"

“How is that possible?

“This isn’t the first time I’ve been called out in this era,” Saber suddenly said, seemingly wanting to respond to Lin Yan, after all, he was the true Master, her master. Saber also vaguely sensed a peculiar feeling emanating from Lin Yan—a threat? No, it was a subtly unsettling stability, a strange feeling. She sensed that Lin Yan might be even more powerful than she perceived, but this power was concealed, concealed very well, almost imperceptible, hence the strong sense of unease.

"Lin Yan, you have too little knowledge as a master. As your contracted servant, Saber will be very troubled if you don't become stronger."

"You don't need to worry about that."

Saber retorted.

"Tsk—it really is a master-servant relationship, so they're already trying to maintain it." Rin Tohsaka said with a half-smile. It wasn't that she looked down on Lin Yan; on the contrary, she felt a subtle sense of pressure. Of course, the reason they sensed this unease was because Lin Yan was doing it intentionally. If Lin Yan wanted to completely conceal his strength, they wouldn't have a chance to detect it at all.

0020 Destination [Please Subscribe]

"Our destination is the Kotomine Church in the neighboring town. That's the home of the fake priest who's overseeing this Holy Grail War." Rin Tohsaka's smile was somewhat subtle.

"Although it's not an important matter, are you planning to walk to the neighboring town?"

"Since the trams and buses are all out of service, it's nice to take a walk in the evening once in a while, isn't it?"

"Just asking, do you know how long it takes to get to the neighboring town?"

"It takes about an hour to walk back. But if I come back late, I can just take a taxi."

"We can't use that extra money, and what I want to say is that it's not good for girls to walk around at night. You know it's dangerous lately, right? I can't be responsible if anything happens."

"Don't worry, no matter what kind of person they are, they won't come out. Although Lin Yan seems to have forgotten, Saber over there is very strong."

"Lin. I couldn't understand what Lin Yan was trying to say just now."

"Huh? No, I should say he's mistaken, or rather, he's a complete idiot. It seems he meant that if we were attacked by a pervert, Lin Yan would save us."

"How can this be? Lin Yan is my master. Wouldn't this reverse our positions?"

"He didn't think about it, did he? It seems like he doesn't care whether someone is a magician or a servant. I really want to see what's going on in that guy's head—."

Lin Yan, standing to the side, felt both amused and exasperated. In such a short time, Rin Tohsaka seemed to have grown much closer to Saber. Was this what friendship between girls was like? He, a tough guy, probably didn't have the delicate sensibilities to perceive and understand these subtle emotional changes.

"Where are you going, Lin Yan? Isn't that the wrong way?"

"Once you get to the other side of the bridge, this is the shortcut." They arrived at the park, and after crossing the bridge, they reached the neighboring town of Shinto.

“There is such a road, that makes sense. You can get to the bridge from the park, so just walk towards the park.” Rin Tohsaka deliberately raised her voice.

"Alright, let's go. After all, we're not here to play around," Lin Yan urged, taking the lead up the steps. Looking ahead, the area was deserted, and the pedestrian bridge was empty. This area was naturally sparsely populated, so of course no one would be here at this time.

"This is a church. Lin Yan, you've been there at least once, haven't you?"

"No, but I know that it used to be an orphanage."

"Is this the first time? Then it's better to be a little careful. You can't use ordinary methods with the priests over there." The original Zero looked at the building in the distance, a building on a hillside, that was the church.

"Lin Yan, I'll stay here."

"Why? We've come all this way, we can't just leave Saber behind."

"I didn't come to the church, but to protect Lin Yan. If your destination is the church, you won't have gone far, so I'll wait here." Saber said firmly and matter-of-factly, her eyes showing no hesitation.

"I understand, then I'll be going."

"Yes, no one can be trusted, Master. The church is very solemn and magnificent, and there are many seats inside."

"Tosaka, what kind of person is the priest here?"

"It's hard to describe what kind of person he is. Even though I've known him for ten years, I still don't quite understand his personality."

"Known each other for ten years? That's a really long time. Could we be relatives or something?"

0021 Magician vs. Church [Please Subscribe]

"Although we're not relatives, he's my guardian. By the way, he's my senior brother and my second master."

"Is my senior brother a magician?"

"right.

"Because he's a priest, right? Priests using magic is forbidden! Magicians and the church have always been at odds, so it's impossible for one person to be both a magician and a member of the church at the same time. The large-scale organization of magicians is called the Magicians' Association, while the Holy Church is something that ordinary people can't see. They are enemies to each other, killing one another."

The church has an extreme aversion to heresy.

They viewed all those who could use magic as enemies, as sinners destined to be punished by God.

"No, weren't the priests here originally from this area?"

"He's the guy appointed as the overseer of the Holy Grail War, a powerful agent. However, whether he has divine blessing is a question." Rin Tohsaka walked towards the altar, but didn't see the priest. However, since she was already there, she might as well make the best of it. Rin Tohsaka guessed that the priest might be in a secret room inside the church.

"What's that priest's name? I think he just mentioned something about Yan Feng."

Kirei Kotomine is the son of Risei Kotomine, a priest and overseer of the Eighth Secret Order of the Holy Church. He is skilled in Bajiquan and possesses extremely strong attack capabilities against spirits.

He was once a first-rate agent of the Church of Christ, and later transferred from the Church to the Magic Association in the form of "being dispatched".

Kirei Kotomine participated in the Fourth Holy Grail War and later inherited the position of Overseer as one of the survivors of the Fourth Holy Grail War. He was also the biggest cheater in the Fifth Holy Grail War.

"His name is Kirei Kotomine, my father's student. We've had a complicated relationship for over ten years. But if I could, I wouldn't want to know him."

"I feel the same way. Me too, I don't want a disciple who doesn't respect his master."

"You didn't respond when I called you several times, but you brought a strange guest. So he's the seventh person, Rin?"

"Yes, although he's a magician for now, he's a complete novice in terms of inner qualities, so he couldn't find it. I remember there's a rule that those who become masters have to report here, even though it's a rule you made yourselves, so let's abide by it this time."

"That's good. I see. We should thank that young man."

Father Kirei Kotomine walked towards Lin Yan, who sensed hostility emanating from him. However, Lin Yan didn't consider such a minor figure a threat. Lin Yan deliberately concealed his presence, so Kirei Kotomine remained unaware that this man he was meeting for the first time was actually the most dangerous.

"I am Kirei Kotomine, appointed to manage this church. Your name, the seventh master."

"Lin Yan. However, I don't remember becoming any master."

"Lin Yan -- Lin Yan".

Kirei Kotomine murmured her name thoughtfully. He seemed quite interested in Lin Yan, his gaze sharpening. Most people would have felt an immense pressure from him, a truly agonizing situation. However, Kirei Kotomine had clearly underestimated Lin Yan's strength.

"I want to thank you, Lin Yan. You really managed to bring Rin here. If it weren't for you, she probably wouldn't have come in the end." Kirei Kotomine walked towards the altar, while Rin Tohsaka walked towards Lin Yan, her face expressionless and her eyes calm and undisturbed.

"Then let's begin. Lin Yan, you're Saber's master, right?"

0022 Kirei Kotomine [Please Subscribe]

"That's not right. I did make a contract with Saber. But even if you tell me about a master or someone from the Holy Grail War, I don't understand at all. If a master requires a true magician, then it would be better to choose another master."

"I see, this is serious. Does he really know nothing, Rin?"

"So you're saying he's an amateur, right? We have to teach him this from scratch. You're good at this kind of remedy, aren't you?" Rin Tohsaka looked displeased. It was clear that Rin Tohsaka had some resentment towards the person in front of her, or that their relationship wasn't good.

"I see, is that so? Very good, this is the first time you've asked me for a favor. Even thanking Lin Yan wouldn't be enough." Yan Feng said with a meaningful smile.

"First, correct your mistake. Listen carefully, Lin Yan. The master cannot be given to someone else, and once you've taken the position, you can't dismiss them. No matter who you are, no one can dismiss someone with a Command Seal engraved on their hand. Accept this fact for now."

"There's no way to fire him, why?"

"Command Seals are also Stigmata. They are trials given to their masters. One cannot give up just because they are inconvenient. That pain will not disappear until the Holy Grail is obtained."

"If you want to quit being the master, there's nothing better than obtaining the Holy Grail and fulfilling your wish. That way, everything can be back to normal, Lin Yan. Your wish, even if it's to dig out all the accumulated mud inside, is achievable. Oh, and starting over from the beginning is also possible, isn't it?"

"So just look forward to it. If that day comes, you'll be grateful to have been chosen as the master. If you want to remove the invisible burns, just accept the stigmata."

Rin Tohsaka didn't really know Lin Yan, and her unease about him stemmed from her cautious nature, but Lin Yan didn't seem to mind.

nodded.

"Kiri, stop beating around the bush. I mean explain the rules to him. Nobody asked you to reopen old wounds."