—Boom!!
Without warning, a piercing explosion roared, the violent shockwave and intense tremors shaking the entire building.
In the workshop, Kayneth, fresh from his extracurricular lesson and solving Waver's mana supply issue, felt his heart lurch.
"What?!"
He glared out the window, roaring.
"Professor Kayneth, what's happening?"
Waver, startled by the sudden blast, asked urgently.
Still basking in Kayneth's rare approval, he hadn't anticipated this abrupt chaos.
"Rider!!"
With Fionn just sent out, Kayneth turned to Iskandar, ordering him to check the situation.
But at that moment, Scáthach and Roy, waiting outside, pushed open the door and entered.
Scáthach, with one eye closed, used her Primordial Runes to scan a wide area. Moments later, she spoke:
"Enemy attack."
"Hmph, an enemy attack, is it? What a foolish move. This is my magical workshop, reinforced by you. Every inch is layered with composite barriers, some rivaling a Reality Marble. With my mana furnaces, anyone daring to invade is an idiot."
Hearing Scáthach's report, Kayneth's initial fury turned to a confident laugh. His workshop, a culmination of his life's work and guided by an Age of Gods magus, was practically his Reality Marble. No mere modern magus could...
"They didn't invade. They bombed the building."
Scáthach said calmly.
"Huh???"
Kayneth's face filled with question marks.
...
Several Hours Earlier
Einzbern Castle Grounds
Not long ago, two uninvited guests arrived.
Tokiomi Tohsaka, dressed in a sharp red suit, led Kirei Kotomine to the castle, courteously presenting his proposal to the lord of the domain.
"An alliance invitation... That's quite sudden, Lord Tohsaka."
Kiritsugu Emiya, freshly discharged and wrapped in bandages, emerged from the room, followed by a stern-faced Artoria.
He eyed the refined middle-aged man and... the young priest behind him?
Even the Church was involved?
"Indeed. I'm sure King Arthur, having clashed with the Lancers, has seen their terrifying strength," Tokiomi said sincerely. "To be frank, both Scáthach and Fionn pose threats that deeply unsettle me. So, I propose we find suitable allies to eliminate them first. That shouldn't be hard to accept, right?"
Though Tokiomi had unmatched confidence in his trump card, the King of Heroes Gilgamesh, believing he could crush any exceptional Servant—King Arthur, the King of Conquerors—those two Lancers were different...
Not only were they exceptional Servants, but both were god-slayers, perfectly countering the divine King of Heroes. This added variables and naturally made Tokiomi uneasy. If possible, he needed to eliminate these threats now, paving the way for Gilgamesh to secure victory.
To that end, Tokiomi scrapped his prior plans, personally seeking out other Masters for cooperation.
"I see..."
Kiritsugu nodded slightly, understanding, then shifted his gaze to the silent young priest trailing Tokiomi—Kirei Kotomine.
"And this one?"
Kiritsugu asked.
"No need to worry. This is Kirei Kotomine, my disciple and the Master of the already-eliminated Assassin, posing no..."
Tokiomi tried to conceal key information, but Kiritsugu cut him off ruthlessly.
"No what? Threat? Heh."
Kiritsugu sneered. "Lord Tohsaka, don't assume others are fools or yourself too clever. If you want cooperation, show sincerity."
"There are no airtight secrets. My assistant gathered intel on Assassin, and we saw him last night. So, the news of Assassin's elimination doesn't fool me. Stop treating me like an idiot."
Kiritsugu said coldly.
"...I see. My apologies for the misunderstanding. I didn't mean to hide it—I planned to share this after the alliance. Since you already know, it saves me the explanation."
Even with his little scheme exposed, Tokiomi lied without a blush, his attitude oozing sincerity. The shameless display made those present twitch.
But though it looked that way...
Tokiomi, his plan seen through, was inwardly cursing.
First, he raged at Assassin's incompetent lot. Didn't they have A-rank Presence Concealment? How were they spotted? Useless fools.
Then, he cursed Archer Gilgamesh, who refused to cooperate.
Since summoning him, that guy had never given him peace. Even after begging him to join this alliance discussion, he was dismissed with a flippant, "This king has no interest in working with mongrels spying on my treasures, nor any reason to. The Holy Grail War's victory is already mine. If you want to go, go alone!" Then he vanished into spirit form, leaving Tokiomi at a loss.
Without Gilgamesh's protection, Tokiomi didn't dare venture out alone, especially into Saber's territory. So, he brought his disciple Kirei and Assassin for safety.
He hadn't expected his carefully crafted excuse to be seen through in a single glance, driving his calm demeanor to the edge.
Even so, Tokiomi knew he couldn't show it. He had to endure and bide his time. The priority was eliminating the two god-slayers threatening Gilgamesh.
Everything else could wait. Once Scáthach and Fionn were out, things would be back in his control.
By the war's end, no matter the Servant—even Archer—he'd use Command Seals to teach them the authority of a Master and the humility of a Servant.
A mere Servant, daring to be so arrogant...
Though outwardly refined, Tokiomi's heart burned with suppressed rage.
"Heh, Lord Tohsaka's skin is thicker than I expected..."
Kiritsugu sneered at Tokiomi's pretense, eyeing him again before asking coldly, "I'll ask again: why an alliance? If you want cooperation, answer honestly and share your intel. Can you do that?"
"Of course. As allies, there'll be no secrets."
Tokiomi smiled. "The Einzberns must have seen the immense power of those two Lancers. They're undoubtedly the greatest threat in this war, the biggest obstacle to the Three Families."
"The Holy Grail War was a miraculous ritual crafted by the ancestors of the Tohsaka, Matou, and Einzbern families. The Grail rightfully belongs to one of us, not outsiders. I hope the Einzberns, for our ancestors' sake, will join me. We eliminate the outsiders, then discuss sharing the Grail."
Sharing the Grail...
Seeing Tokiomi's earnest smile, Kiritsugu felt disgust.
These magi were all schemers, full of lies.
The two Lancers were a threat, yes, but his Archer was far more dangerous, displaying strength last night that could crush any Servant in this war.
Kiritsugu knew Tokiomi's plan: protect Archer from Fionn and Scáthach, ally to eliminate them, then deal with the rest.
If Scáthach and Fionn were out, he'd turn on them instantly, tearing the alliance apart to eliminate him and Saber.
"...Sharing the Grail? Heh, Tokiomi, do you take me for a fool? Forget your Archer's combat strength—you have two Servants. I only have Saber. Is that fair cooperation?"
"And since it's the Three Families' wish, why not invite the Matou? You suspect one Lancer is theirs, don't you, Tokiomi?"
Amazed by Tokiomi's bulletproof audacity, Kiritsugu dropped the formalities, addressing him directly.
"To my shame... you've seen the two Lancers. I suspect a participant violated the rules with an irregular summoning, likely Caster, and the Matou's Servant is probably Caster's Master."
"As a fellow Three Family member and designer of the Command Seals and rules, it's disgraceful they'd break them for victory with such underhanded means. The Tohsaka family shuns their company! As Three Families, we should correct their error and guide them back to the right path."
Even with his thoughts exposed, Tokiomi showed no anger or loss of composure. Instead, he passionately condemned the Matou's depravity before Kiritsugu, as if heartbroken by their fall.
"If you're concerned about our Servant numbers, we can sign a contract. When only we three remain, Kirei's Master status will be revoked, with a vow or Church oversight. How's that?"
At this point, Tokiomi dropped the pretense, laying out his terms to show sincerity.
He knew, with the Einzberns' loss in the first battle and King Arthur's inferiority, they had no better option than allying with him.
This was an open gambit.
And it was a win-win, though his win was bigger.
"...Fine."
Kiritsugu sighed helplessly, pondering long before reluctantly accepting the obvious ploy.
"I agree, Lord Tohsaka. Let's ally. But I hope you'll keep your promise."
"A wise choice, Einzbern representative. Rest assured, as allies, the Tohsaka family will honor our word."
Seeing Kiritsugu agree, Tokiomi's eyes lit up, nodding smugly, unaware of the cold killing intent in Kiritsugu's gaze.
In another world line, Masters who signed pacts with him ended up dead...
If possible, Kiritsugu wanted to bury Tokiomi right there. His entering Kiritsugu's territory was like meat on a platter.
But considering Saber's abysmal performance and the Golden Hero's overwhelming power, Kiritsugu reluctantly abandoned the tempting idea, opting for cooperation.
Learning Tokiomi had an Assassin sparked a plan in Kiritsugu's mind.
With Irisviel missing, abducted by someone unknown, and no leads, he was anxious. Knowing Tokiomi had an intelligence-gathering, stealthy Assassin renewed his hope.
He planned to use Assassin to track Irisviel's whereabouts and find who took his wife.
As for the culprit...
Tokiomi and Kirei were cleared.
If it was them, they'd have used Irisviel as a hostage to threaten him, not grovel for an alliance.
So who was the culprit?
Kiritsugu pondered. That night, Kayneth was relentlessly pursuing him, the two Lancers and Rider with their Masters were at the battlefield, and Assassin was now ruled out. That left...
The Matou?
At this thought, Kiritsugu's gaze grew heavy.
No matter what, they needed to investigate the Matou residence.
"Good. Since we agree, let's act quickly. Take out one Lancer first to avoid complications."
Tokiomi spoke suddenly, eager to clear the threats.
"Hm? You mean attack the Matou now?"
Kiritsugu frowned, feeling Tokiomi was too hasty.
With all seven Servants present, plus a possible hidden Caster or even an eighth, acting rashly could draw other Servants' attention. Attacking the Matou directly might let others exploit them. Though the Lancers were the biggest threat, the other Servants weren't pushovers.
"No, the Matou are too entrenched here, with numerous defensive wards, not to mention a possible Caster and Lancer. We can't rush."
Tokiomi shook his head, offering his suggestion. "Let's target the other Lancer first, eliminate the lone Servant and Master, then plan to breach the Matou."
"I've sent Assassin to gather intel on the other Lancer. Results should come soon."
"No need. I know where the other is."
Kiritsugu said suddenly.
"Hm? That fast? Outpacing even Assassin..."
Tokiomi's expression froze, realizing the Einzberns were more dangerous than he thought.
"Not really. That Master's just too blatant."
Kiritsugu shook his head, pulling a photo from his pocket and tossing it to Tokiomi, sharing his intel.
Seeing the familiar building in the photo, Tokiomi's expression shifted. He recognized it instantly, even the bustling commercial district it sat in.
"...The Hyatt Hotel? Someone dares be so brazen?"
...
...
"Tokiomi Tohsaka... just a self-righteous fool."
After discussing the alliance and tactics, as Tokiomi left, Kiritsugu, seated, smirked coldly.
Artoria, beside him, saw his true intentions, her expression hesitant.
"Master, is this alliance trustworthy? And you seem..."
"No need to say more, Saber."
Cutting off Artoria's unspoken words, Kiritsugu shook his head, donning his coat, ready to move.
"With Irisviel missing and time pressing, I've no mood or time to debate fighting. Just follow my orders."
"Tokiomi wants to use me, but am I not using him? With his arrogant mindset, even if you're no match for Archer, I'm confident I can take him out."
Ignoring Artoria's darkening expression, Kiritsugu calmly spoke of betraying his ally.
Before Saber could argue, he loaded his pre-prepared Stinger RPG, high-explosive weapons, and even several high-yield timed bombs and C4 into his car's trunk for good measure.
"For now, cooperate with him. I need Assassin's skills to find Irisviel."
Kiritsugu opened the car door, extinguishing his cigarette, speaking coldly.
"Once we breach the Matou and find Irisviel, it'll be Tokiomi's end."
With that, he ceased speaking with Artoria.
He got in the car, floored the gas, and sped off.
Left behind, Artoria stared at his receding figure, murmuring, "Is this... truly right?"
In just one day, her once-resolute heart fell into confusion.
***
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