Under the twilight, the church lacked other believers—only two young men gazed at each other.
"Good evening, I am Kirei Kotomine, son of Risei Kotomine," Kirei introduced himself.
His expression remained unchanged as if he were standing in for his father to receive guests. He continued, "Father Kotomine is not in the church right now. Is there something you need?"
Kirei Kotomine thought little about the sudden visitor, Alaric, merely treating him with routine hospitality.
Seeing this, Alaric did not hesitate and walked straight into the church. The solemn and grand decorations accentuated the sacred atmosphere.
As the crisp sound of footsteps approached, Alaric stopped a short distance from Kirei Kotomine. "I just wanted to take a look. I wanted to see what the church looks like at twilight."
"Oh?"
Tap, tap.
Kirei Kotomine descended from the platform and slowly walked over to Alaric. His calm eyes scanned Alaric's figure and remarked, "You seem like someone who has been through many hardships. If you have something on your mind, I can listen in place of my father. After all, I am also a man of the cloth."
As the distance between them closed, Kirei Kotomine, who belonged to the Eighth Sacrament, was someone who had undergone rigorous training. His physical capabilities had reached their peak in his prime.
This training not only enhanced his physical abilities but also honed his observational skills. It allowed him to see that the visitor before him was someone who had been through intense trials.
Simply from his posture, it was clear—this was a strong man.
But that was all. Other than recognizing Alaric's exceptional physical condition, Kirei Kotomine could not discern much else.
"So you are the acting priest, then."
Seated on one of the long benches, Alaric gazed at the church's sole sculpture. "As the son of Father Kotomine, will you also become the priest of this church in the future?"
"Naturally."
Running his hand over the rows of benches, as if envisioning his future, Kirei Kotomine replied, "As a man of the cloth, becoming a priest is inevitable."
"A man of the cloth, huh...?"
Alaric continued to stare at the lone sculpture. The God revered by the Holy Church was real—the very One True God who granted the omniscient and omnipotent wisdom to the King of Magecraft, Solomon.
Even the purest of the Round Table knights, Galahad, who had obtained the Holy Grail, was once blessed by God.
However, unlike Solomon, who sought wisdom from God, Galahad—being a knight of pure heart and devoid of desire—chose merely to return the Holy Grail.
In terms of existence, God transcended this planet itself. The only being comparable in stature was the Enlightened One.
Beyond this, the Holy Church, which worshipped God, despised sorcery.
More accurately, they refused to acknowledge those who wielded mysterious powers without being saints chosen by God.
As things stood, men of the cloth were not permitted to study magecraft outside the Church's teachings.
"Quite the grand design."
After pondering for a moment, Alaric realized that the traces of God permeated the realm of mystery. Not only was the Western magical foundation established by Solomon, God's chosen agent, but faith in God had also grown into a force that rivaled the Mage's Association.
As Alaric contemplated the significance of God, Kirei Kotomine quietly observed him from behind.
To the hollow-hearted Kirei Kotomine, this unexpected visitor did not evoke many thoughts—only that Alaric exuded unwavering confidence.
Even in just a few exchanges, Kirei Kotomine could sense an indomitable sense of self and certainty from Alaric.
Absolute confidence. This confidence even surpassed that of Tokiomi Tohsaka, a man of noble lineage.
After a brief conversation, as twilight completely faded into night, Alaric left the church.
There was not much to discuss between him and Kirei Kotomine—this meeting was merely a coincidence.
Compared to Kirei Kotomine, Alaric was more interested in meeting Risei Kotomine, the priest himself.
The Holy Church, which served as a neutral overseer of the Holy Grail Wars, had accumulated the Command Seals left behind from the previous three wars.
A Command Seal was not only a forceful constraint over Servants but also an extremely concentrated source of magical energy.
Tap, tap.
Leaving the church, Alaric quickly made his way toward Ryuudou Temple. As the night deepened, the already secluded temple had no other visitors.
On the silent roads, Alaric was the only one, moving like a shadow at high speed.
Activating Presence Concealment, he minimized his aura to its smallest possible level, blending seamlessly into the night as he stealthily approached the Great Hollow.
As he neared, Alaric detected the surveillance spells and familiars stationed at the entrance. Various types of familiars lurked in the corners, poised to sound the alarm if anyone dared to enter uninvited.
Under normal circumstances, this level of security would have been foolproof.
But only under normal circumstances.
Completely ignoring the many familiars, neither the Tohsaka nor the Matou clan's security measures detected the silent intruder slipping into the underground cavern.
As if he had never been there at all, Alaric successfully infiltrated the underground hollow beneath Ryuudou Temple.
In mere moments, he had reached the Greater Holy Grail System.
The vast underground chamber contained a structure resembling an altar—or rather, an enormous stone chalice.
At its center, an obsidian pillar emitting a black-red glow stood silently.
Due to the incomplete accumulation of magical energy, the Greater Holy Grail remained in its dormant state.
Even so, Alaric could sense an unusual presence within it.
"The Greater Holy Grail System..."
It was his first time seeing it in person, and Alaric instinctively furrowed his brows.
The system was indeed created by Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern, the Winter Saint, and the ley lines of Fuyuki.
However, something about the current state of the system felt... off.
It was incredibly complex.
Even after spending a year studying at the Clock Tower, and even branching into additional disciplines, Alaric still found the Greater Holy Grail System overwhelmingly intricate.
Too intricate for him to analyze in a short time—even years might not be enough.
"Seriously, should I summon a witch to analyze it?"
Biting his nail, Alaric recalled the legendary Witch, who was said to be capable of fully deciphering the Holy Grail System in just a few days.
But right now, he lacked the conditions to summon a Servant.
—For the next few days, Alaric remained immersed in analyzing the Holy Grail System.
Meanwhile, elsewhere—
Risei Kotomine brought Tokiomi Tohsaka to the church, persuading Kirei Kotomine to become Tokiomi's disciple and participate in the Holy Grail War.
Hollow-hearted and without desires, Kirei Kotomine accepted his father's command.
Crimson markings appeared on the hands of those who sought the Holy Grail, a sign foretelling the brutal war about to unfold.