Fuyuki – Matou Residence.
Sakura's eyes flew open, her heart pounding wildly. She had no idea where she was. Just moments ago… she had gone to bed peacefully after listening to Zoth's story.
But now—the world around her had changed.
Before her lay a scorched wasteland, littered with corpses, ash, and blood.
The air was thick with the stench of smoke and death.
The ground cracked open beneath her feet. Shadows danced in the distance, accompanied by howls from the underworld.
Sakura trembled as she stepped into the nightmare.
Every step felt like treading on rotting tragedy.
And then—
"Zoth! Stop it! Why... why are you doing this?!"
A scream tore through the air—filled with rage and despair.
Sakura's pupils shrank. She recognized the voice.
A blonde girl knelt in the middle of the battlefield, her body shaking.
Not far from her stood a black-haired boy who turned around slowly.
His eyes… were no longer the gentle eyes she once knew.
What now burned in them was madness, bloodlust—something far beyond humanity.
"Jeannette~ You really shouldn't pity these sinners."
The boy chuckled. His hands still fresh with blood as he twisted the limbs of a fallen enemy,
blood dripping onto the scorched earth.
"They were planning to hand you over to the England's—to be burned alive.
What kind of justice protects traitors?"
The girl—Jeanne d'Arc—knelt on one knee, clutching her battle Flagstaff.
Her entire body trembled.
Her face overflowed with anguish and fury.
"Zoth… This isn't the justice you once fought for!
You used to protect the weak… You believed in peace…
So why—why have you become this?!"
Her words sliced like a blade.
But Zoth only smiled, almost pityingly.
"Jeanne… my dear friend~ You still believe in that thing called 'faith'?
Look closely—this world never deserved your sacrifice."
"The nobles… the kings… even the commoners…
All of them bow only to profit."
Zoth knelt beside the corpse, gently laying a golden sword at its side.
Then, he pulled out a thick, ancient-looking book.
Sakura held her breath.
She couldn't believe it.
Was this really the same Zoth—the one who once taught her kindness, dreams, and light?
Suddenly—
A voice echoed like it came from the abyss:
[Omni Force!]
[When the Legendary Sword and the Chosen Book unite, a mighty power shall be unleashed!]
Zoth closed the Wonder Ride Book, placing it into his Driver.
His voice was calm—yet filled with sorrow.
"Jeannette~ I once dreamed... dreamed of a future where you and I could live in peace.
But then I realized…
To protect something... sometimes you have to spill blood.
And once your hands are stained...
There's no going back."
"Henshin."
Zoth slammed the Driver shut. The Wonder Ride Book burst open.
A violent surge of dark energy erupted—devouring the world.
Thunder roared. Winds howled. The earth trembled.
Everything was swallowed by darkness.
[OPEN THE OMNIMUS!]
[FORCE OF THE GOD!]
[KAMEN RIDER SOLOMON!]
[FEAR IS COMING SOON!]
From within the void, a figure stepped forth—Kamen Rider Solomon.
His armor shone white and gold, but stained with dry blood.
Red markings flickered like flames of vengeance.
His cloak was torn, his helm crowned with vicious spikes.
A single long horn pierced skyward like a sword of judgment.
His compound eyes blazed—bearing a curse.
"Now... thy judgment has come."
Zoth looked down at Jeanne, his voice ringing like a funeral bell:
"Jeannette… Tell Gilles…
Tell him to protect the people of Tours... in my place."
With that, he turned and walked into the thick black mist.
Without a trace of hesitation.
Jeanne collapsed to the ground, shoulders shaking.
She bit her lip until blood welled.
Tears fell onto the scorched earth.
"Zoth… Must you really go… this far...?"
---
Fuyuki – Matou Residence.
Sakura shot upright, gasping for breath, her forehead drenched in sweat.
Her heart still trembled—
The dream just now… was far too real. Too terrifying.
She clutched the blanket tightly, eyes darting around.
The room was the same. Everything was in place.
But inside… nothing felt normal anymore.
"SAKURA! Hurry up and come eat!"
Zoth's voice rang out from downstairs, loud and firm. Sakura flinched and responded almost automatically:
"Y-Yes!!"
"SHINJI! You too! Get changed already! Don't come dragging your seaweed-haired face down here like some unemployed ghost!"
Zoth roared again, full of pent-up resentment.
No wonder—he nearly snapped last night because of that kid:
— His game save got overwritten.
— The light novel he was Reading? Ripped. Right. Down. The. Middle.
Zoth ground his teeth, feeling the rage build like he was ready to slash his future brother-in-law into tomorrow.
But… whatever.
Breakfast first.
At the dining table.
Zoth came downstairs and saw Sakura sitting quietly, her hands trembling slightly.
She was avoiding eye contact, her face pale like someone stricken with illness.
"What's wrong, Sakura?" he asked, his voice softening unexpectedly.
"N-Nothing… I just didn't sleep well…" she mumbled, forcing a weak smile.
But the fear in her eyes still lingered.
Zoth narrowed his eyes. He could feel something was off.
"Hey. If there's something wrong, just say it. Don't keep it to yourself. I'm not the type to walk away."
"…Mm… I know…" Sakura nodded quietly, then lowered her head to eat.
Today's bowl of rice… suddenly tasted bitter.
Zoth turned—only to find Kariya intensely focused on his phone, his face unusually serious.
"What is it? Something wrong?" Zoth asked, walking over.
On the screen was a video clip:
A Servant sneaking into the Tohsaka mansion.
But the moment they crossed the boundary—
A storm of weapons erupted from inside, striking without mercy.
The result?
[Zap!]
Gone. Evaporated like a mob character running into the main protagonist.
"Oho~ now that's interesting~" Zoth chuckled, eyes narrowing as he patted Kariya on the shoulder.
"Relax. It's just theater. No need to get all tense~"
"You're not worried?" Kariya frowned.
"That Servant wasn't weak. And that dark knight—"
"Assassin. I know." Zoth waved him off, unfazed.
"Huh? How the hell would you—"
"Man, you worry too much." Zoth cut him off.
"A Servant getting one-shotted like that?
If that's what we're dealing with, maybe we should just toss all our Command Seals into the Holy Grail and call it a day."
Kariya: "…"
Zoth: "…"
The two stood in silence for a few beats, then—
"So this was a 'kill a chicken to scare the monkeys' move, huh?" Kariya said slowly.
"Bingo, chef's special~" Zoth winked.
"And don't ask me how I know. Because—
I'm the main character. And tonight… will be a nightmare for our dear Heroic Spirits~"
Zoth smirked smugly—
Then suddenly froze.
"…Wait… Why the hell did I just say something straight out of an anime?"
He rubbed his forehead, muttering:
"Don't tell me… I'm starting to turn into a Chuunibyou…?!"
Sakura beside him: "…" (silently bites into her toast)
Shinji upstairs:
"Chuunibyou? Bro, have you looked in a mirror lately?"
---
Meanwhile – Fuyuki Airport.
The soft hum of luggage wheels echoed across the terminal.
A beautiful white-haired woman stepped slowly out from the international arrival gate, followed closely by a blonde girl whose eyes were sharp yet noble.
"So this is… Kiritsugu's homeland, huh~"
The white-haired woman murmured, her gaze distant.
Then she turned to the blonde beside her:
"Saber, how do you feel? About the flight, I mean."
Yes, she was Irisviel von Einzbern.
And the girl next to her—Artoria Pendragon, a king of Knight, now summoned as Servant class: Saber.
"…Nothing remarkable. More boring than I expected," Saber answered, her tone as serious as ever.
Irisviel chuckled:
"Bored on an airplane? You really are a Heroic Spirit…"
"I didn't say flying was boring. It's just that…" Saber frowned slightly.
"When summoned, we receive fragments of modern knowledge from the Grail.
If needed, I could operate the plane. By instinct."
Irisviel's eyes widened:
"Wait, for real?! You can fly a plane?!"
Saber nodded, as dead serious as ever:
"My Riding Skill is quite high. Unless it's a Phantasmal or Divine Beast, anything with a saddle and reins… I can ride it."
"…An airplane with a saddle and reins though…"
Iris couldn't hold it anymore—she burst into giggles, covering her mouth.
"Sorry, but you just gave me the funniest image ever: Saber, in full armor, riding a Boeing 747 like it's a dragon, gripping reins and yelling at the sky—"
Saber: "…"
(pauses, brows furrowing like she's genuinely considering how to mount reins onto a 747)
They continued walking through the terminal, the gentle click-clack of luggage behind them as two Einzbern maids trailed at a polite distance.
Step by step, little conversations weaving between them—
All under a calm morning sky, just before the storm would truly hit this city.
Fuyuki – a moment of peace before disaster.
And they—
The ones fated to meet destiny head-on.