Fate/Zero

Master Kiritsugu!

Your child has been born.

She's so cute, she's adorable,

and so small, so very delicate.

Look, Kiritsugu.

She has your eyes too.

She's beautiful.

I'm so happy that I could give birth to her.

Iri, I...

I will be the cause of your death.

I know.

The Einzberns have dreamed of the day.

It is the very reason I exist.

When I came to know your ideals,

I made your wish my own.

You made me who I am today.

You have guided me on my path.

You offered me a better life than that of a simple puppet.

You needn't pity me, because I am part of you already.

So.

But...

I have no right to hold that child.

None.

Kiritsugu, don't forget.

You're striving to make a whole new world

where no one cries.

This is what your whole life has been about.

Eight more years, and your fight will come to an end,

and our ideal will become reality.

The Holy Grail will save you.

I'm certain of it.

So take this child, Ilyasviel, and hold her close.

Hold her and be proud, like any other father would be.

A Command Seal?

Yes.

The mark identifies you as a participant in the Holy Grail War.

A stigmata bestowing upon you the power to command a servant.

Kirei Kotomine.

The Holy Grail War,

the battle for an ancient relic that performs miracles.

But why me?

Normally, those chosen by the Grail as masters for the servants are experienced and accomplished mages.

It is highly unusual for someone like you,

who has no connection to magic whatsoever, to be chosen to participate.

Heroic servants.

I still find it strange to command the summoned spirits of ancient heroes to fight as familiars.

Of course, I know all this can be very difficult to believe,

but heroes from every age and nation will come back to life in the modern world,

killing one another to vie for supremacy.

That is the Holy Grail War.

Also, there is an unspoken agreement among all involved

to keep this all secret.

To ensure this rule is kept,

someone of the Holy Church is always sent as an observer.

Should one of us really be judging?

A secret battle between godless magicians?

A Mage's Association member

would be too partial to one party to assure fairness.

And so once again,

just as we did some 60 years ago,

we've recruited your father to watch over and referee our battle.

My father will be coming to Fuyuki?

But wait, how can this be considered fair?

It's a conflict of interest for the overseer's child to also be a participant.

Tokiomi?

Perhaps it's time we got to the point.

Kirei, everything we've spoken of thus far is just the official background of the Holy Grail War.

However, there is an additional reason I've introduced you to Mr. Tokiomi Tohsaka here today.

And what would that be?

Actually, we found proof a long time ago that the Holy Grail that will appear in Fuyuki

is not the sacred relic that belonged to the Son of God.

So I gathered.

Otherwise, an order to retrieve it would've been given to us of the Eighth Sacrament Assembly.

Be that as it may, Fuyuki's Holy Grail is far too powerful to ignore.

It is an omnipotent wish‐granting device.

Who knows what disaster it could unleash should it happen to fall into the wrong hands.

In which case,

the best course of action would be to ensure that the Fuyuki Grail falls into the right hands,

hands that would not misuse it.

The Tohsakas are a family of mages,

but they are mages with a long history of friendship with the Church.

We know what kind of person Tokiomi is, and more important than anything else,

the Tohsakas' ultimate intentions for the Grail are plain and honorable.

To reach the root.

That is the Tohsaka family's sole desire.

But the Einzberns and Matous have both forgotten the wish we once shared with them,

and have other less altruistic plans now.

It goes without saying that the plans of the other masters will be even worse.

Who knows what dark desire they may harbor for the power of the Grail should they obtain it.

That being said, I assume that the goal of my participation is to ensure Tokiomi Tohsaka's victory,

rather than to prevail myself.

To achieve that goal

we will conduct ourselves in a manner that will maintain the appearance of us being enemies.

However, we will actually be working together

in total secrecy to soundly defeat the other five masters,

and assure our victory in the end.

And so, Kirei,

you will be officially transferred from the Church to the Mage's Association

where you will become my student.

The official orders have already been issued.

You must go to Japan and study the principles of magic,

and become a mage of sufficient strength and skill

to command a servant in the Holy Grail War in three years time when the battles begin.

Now then.

Do you have any questions for us, Kirei?

Only one.

How exactly does the Holy Grail go about selecting its masters?

What kind of criteria does it use?

Hm.

The exact criteria it uses is unknown, but it chooses those masters who need it most.

So all the participating masters have a reason to covet the Grail?

Not necessarily.

I'm told that in the past there were cases where Command Seals

appeared on those whom you would never have expected.

Oh, I think I understand.

You're still puzzled at being chosen to be a master by the Grail, aren't you?

I didn't expect Kirei to give his consent so quickly.

My son would jump into fire if the Holy Church ordered him to do so.

To be honest with you, I'm even a little shocked.

From his perspective,

he's being drawn into a senseless war that has absolutely nothing to do with him.

No, this is as it should be.

Perhaps this ordeal will do him some good.

Only a few days ago, my son lost his wife.

I believe that a complete change of scenery and a difficult new mission to focus on

may be exactly what he needs to nurse his wounds.

Hi, Aoi.

Kariya, it's good to see you again.

You're back from your trip?

This one seemed to last a long time.

Yeah, I guess it did.

Uncle Kariya!

Uncle Kariya, welcome back!

Hi, Rin.

Did you bring me a present again?

No, Rin, you're being very rude.

Here.

Thank you, Uncle Kariya.

You are very welcome, Rin, I'm glad you like it.

Where's Sakura?

Sakura's gone now.

What did she mean?

Sakura is...

well, she's no longer my daughter or Rin's little sister.

She's now with... the Matou family.

But why?

The Matous want a child who carries in them the blood of a mage.

You know why, better than anyone else.

The head of the Tohsaka family decided to give our ancient allies, the Matous, that which they requested.

It wasn't my place to speak out.

You're all right with that?

When I married into the Tohsaka family,

when I decided to marry a mage,

I knew what might be required of me.

And you're all right with that?

The reality is that a clan bearing mage blood can never expect to enjoy the happiness of a normal family.

That's not true!

When you married him you wanted happiness, you wanted...

Enough!

This is between the Tohsakas and the Matous.

You left the world of mages a long time ago.

This doesn't concern you.

If you get the chance to see Sakura again,

please be kind to her.

She was always very fond of you.

So, the failure actually had the nerve to show his face here.

I distinctly remember telling you to stay far away from this house, and to never darken my doorstep again,

Kariya.

I heard you adopted the Tohsaka's second daughter.

Then you have sharp ears.

Is it really so important to keep mages in the Matou lineage that you have to do this?

Would you tell me we're wrong to?

You of all people?

Tell me who's fault do you think it is for our present reduced circumstances.

Kariya,

had you only agreed to carry on the family name

and to learn the secrets of the Matou,

things would never have gotten this bad, and that little girl would still be with her mother.

You're not fooling anyone, you vampire.

You only want the Grail to give yourself eternal youth.

You just wanna live forever.

Nearly 60 years have passed since the last time the masters gathered,

but the Matous have no pawns yet to offer for the fourth Holy Grail War.

Though you have it inside you, your brother Byakuya lacks the power needed to control a servant.

But even if we forfeit this round, we could still win the next in 60 years if we prepare ourselves.

The Tohsaka girl's womb will one day bear us a powerful mage, one who could prevail.

She has a lot of potential, that one, she could be the key.

So then in other words, if you can get your hands on the Grail,

you won't need Sakura Tohsaka anymore.

What is it you're scheming, Kariya?

A trade, Zouken.

Next year I will return from the Grail War, Grail in hand,

and in return, you will release Sakura.

Don't be a stupid idiot.

You're a failure and you haven't trained a day in your life.

You actually believe that in a single year you'll achieve the power to control a servant?

You have the secret magic to make that happen and you know it, using your special worm techniques.

So?

You can implant me with your crest worms.

Kariya, you want to die?