An idea I've had floating around since I first read a certain bit of CM3 (page 13). Been very gradually planning it out since then. Not at all finished with that process, but the recent surge in writing inspired me to get on with it. So I wrote up the prologue as a way to chivvy myself along. First fanfic in a long while, so all concrit is deeply appreciated.
“A failure. Is this all our efforts come to? A dismal, bloody failure?!” Makiri Zolgen's voice rose to an uncontrolled scream, releasing all his anger at the representatives of Einzbern and Tōsaka. His hands slammed down on the oak table and spittle flew from his mouth. But the two sitting across from him were unmoved, as if his rage was a minor thing, contemptible, beneath their notice.
“We would remind you that you still live, head of Zolgen. No matter your scars, the houses of Einzbern and Tōsaka have suffered greater blows this past week. Justicia's sacrifice was, I think, more than you would have dared. And...” Here her breath hitched once. But only once. “And my father lost his life because of your own failure. Your bindings were useless, Zolgen; that very thing for which you were brought into the matter, you failed at! We could easily lay the blame at your door for the chaos here.” So spoke Tetsuko Tōsaka, her voice under as tight a control as she could manage, and her blue eyes icy.
Makiri's voice grew softer, but the anger did not leave it. Instead, it became bitter and turned inward. “You're right, Tōsaka, and I admit my fault. My attention was on giving Justicia some hope of retaining her body, some hope that she might live to see our dreams made reality. And my spells of restraint suffered for that. It was a stupid mistake, one suited to a much younger man. But you are exaggerating when you say that it could be all my fault; every one of us miscalculated.”
Now he stared around with his remaining eye, the one his son's Servant hadn't been able to slash out. The luxurious furnishings of the Tōsaka house – the polished woods, expensive drapes from over the seas – seemed badly fitted to the cold atmosphere of the three magi and their discussion of slaughter. Tōsaka's daughter – the Tōsaka now, he reminded himself – met his eyes with a glare. Another way in which her pretence of composure betrayed itself. The Einzbern head, on the other hand, seemed truly unmoved by their conflict, seemingly frozen like the winter dear to the hearts of that family. Still, Makiri continued.
“As skillful as our craft was, we had far too little power even when the Servants could be finally dissolved into the Grail – and they could be defeated is evidence of our failure too. Our Ghost Liners, destroyed by magi of this very era! Not without cost, I know, and I honour the sacrifice of your father, of the dozen Einzbern fighters, and of my own heir. But they fell to us nevertheless, and that is a sad commentary on how pathetic the heroes whom we summoned were.”
Tetsuko sighed. “Your words are not without truth, Zolgen. And, in retrospect, I think that there is more to it than you have even mentioned. We waited too short a time for the leyline to draw in mana for the Grail. My family's supposed ancestor seemingly cannot be relied upon to do anything more than complement some neat work, laugh at our intentions and leave, damn him. I,” and now she paused, as if unsure how her words would be received, “I think that we three families would not be able to fill the Grail, even if we could, by some chance, summon the three greatest heroes ever to have lived. No matter how weighty the souls, I do not think our construct could be satisfied with three.”
The Einzbern head, silent until now, seemed shocked into life, into true emotion. “Unacceptable! The Einzbern took hundreds of years of deliberation even to consider letting two such august families into our secret! We cannot have more interference. I, Jubstacheit, eighth head of the Einzbern, will forbid it!”
Makiri tried to roll his eyes at that, before a sharp shock of pain reminded him of the one he had lost. “The Einzbern have compromised once, they can do it again. Besides, if we're to have to remedy all the problems that our colleague has brought up, there'll be plenty of time to search for candidates: perhaps even to manipulate their growth as it suits you. Tōsaka, this is your land – how long would you say we should wait to gather prana?”
After a short moment of consideration, Tetsuko replied, “Twenty years would be sufficient to match all the power we expended in this ritual, but the Grail could gather a far greater amount -”
“-then double it. Or, actually, triple it. We want to leave absolutely nothing to chance, wring every last drop of magic we can out of all the ritual's aspects,” Makiri said.
The two moved on, burying themselves in theories of new classes, of the modifications necessary for an extended ritual, of rules that should deceive the outside magi. Jubstacheit soon saw that they would not be moved from their course, even if his family tried to withdraw their support entirely. The obsession of researchers had come over them and, deeper still, the obsession of magi close to the Root of all. Then the Einzbern certainly could not abandon this project and have the fools make use of it, maybe even succeed. Let these inferiors gain from what the Einzbern had proposed, had put so much effort into, had sacrificed their greatest Lady for five centuries to? For his family, that would be heresy of the highest sort. Even so, Tōsaka and Zolgen must be reminded of their place as the lesser partners in this project. And he had just the means to do so.
“You still fail to address one matter - you have given no thought to a solution for our pathetic Servants. No matter how many you might involve, you still leave their power to chance. The Einzbern gathered a great many relics, both in our time as holders of the Third and even more after, as we sought to recover it. We will supply one of our greatest to all the Masters if you will reduce their number. As catalysts for the ritual, they would direct the Grail and allow the summoning of truly powerful Servants. No need then for these hordes of lesser mages.”
“And this relic would be … ?” asked Makiri sceptically.
“Splinters of the gates of Troy. We would all summon the greatest heroes from the most famed war in the Age of the Gods. That will be our second ritual. That will be the Second Holy Grail War.”
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Originally Posted by Seika
