Not a phantom...?
The night was silent as Sessyoin stared in shock at Alvin and the Tiamat behind him.
Beasts possessed immense Spirit Origins; even as a larval Beast, Sessyoin's was far larger than most Heroic Spirits.
That's why she knew exactly how colossal Tiamat's Spirit Origin was.
Logically, even the White Dragon's mana, no matter how vast, couldn't continuously sustain Tiamat, right?
As if reading her doubts, Alvin said calmly. "Summoning Tiamat's true body is probably impossible for anyone in this world... But if it's just an avatar, and that avatar is already in Britain, it's easy."
An avatar?
Tiamat had an avatar within Britain's borders?!
Sessyoin froze, then shivered slightly, goosebumps rising on her skin.
The Tiamat before her wasn't even the main body.
Just an avatar's Spirit Origin was already comparable to a larval Beast...?
At that moment, Sessyoin's heart filled with the urge to retreat, yet her gaze on Alvin grew even more excited.
"You never cease to surprise me, Lord White Dragon."
"You win this time... But I look forward to our next meeting."
With that, Sessyoin didn't hesitate.
She turned and left.
Her figure gradually faded into transparency.
Before vanishing completely, she glanced deeply at Alvin, a seductive smile curling her lips, then disappeared.
Alvin watched her go, a chill running down his spine.
Why did it feel like, after driving her off, things had somehow become more troublesome...
Being stalked by a Beast in the shadows was no joke.
Alvin quickly gathered his thoughts, turning to Rin. "Rin, I'll take you back to the palace first. After this, I'll contact your father to come get you."
The girl was still dazed.
Hearing this, she snapped back slightly, instinctively glancing at Alvin. For no reason, she recalled the stories her sister told her at the Tohsaka mansion about the White Dragon.
The day Sakura ran away, she said she'd witnessed the White Dragon fighting the Servant her father summoned—the Hero King, Gilgamesh.
In that snowy battlefield, Alvin had taken the runaway sister to his home, caring for her until the Holy Grail War ended.
As a young girl, she didn't understand love, but in that moment, she felt the budding emotion called "liking." Alvin had left an indelible mark on her heart.
From then on, Sakura had longed to reunite with him in another Holy Grail War.
In fact, people rarely empathize deeply unless they've shared the same experience or faced a life-or-death moment together.
Like when your best friend gets dumped, and you're in the passenger seat as he speeds 200 km/h through the city... That's when you truly feel it.
At first, when Rin comforted her sister, she always used superficial methods.
But now... watching Alvin extend his hand toward her, the girl suddenly felt she could somewhat understand her sister.
In a world full of crises, with no fixed home and a heart filled with fear... yet seeing him brought an inexplicable sense of security.
The young girl stared intently at the boy.
After a long moment, she reached out her small hand to grasp his, whispering. "Thank you."
Though a bit tsundere, she was still polite when it came to gratitude...
Alvin thought to himself, suddenly feeling a soft touch against the back of his head.
Snapping back, he saw Tiamat staring at him, her crimson starry eyes sparkling as if saying. *What about me? Praise me?*
Alvin reached out to pat the woman's head. "This time, it's thanks to you. Otherwise, it would've been tricky."
"Aaaa~"
Tiamat nodded, letting out a contented sound.
Watching her act so curely, Alvin suddenly recalled their first meeting....how she had slumbered alone in the silent imaginary number space, her appearance serene yet her heart brimming with curiosity and unease about the outside world.
For Tiamat, simply being needed was a joy, so helping Alvin filled her with immense satisfaction.
Before Alvin could think further, he felt a warm softness in his arms.
Coming to, he realized Tiamat was hugging him, as if comforting her child.
Alvin gathered his thoughts and hugged Tiamat back.
Rin watched them like she'd discovered a new world, her eyes filled with wonder.
Moments ago, she had displayed world-ending power, yet now Tiamat seemed completely harmless, gentle as a lamb.
What exactly was their relationship...? Rin couldn't help but wonder.
At that moment, she noticed a faint sound at the entrance.
She turned to look.
Not far ahead, a girl in a gothic dress with flowing golden hair stepped over the threshold.
Manaka Sajyou spotted the three in the manor at a glance.
She paused, then her gaze on Alvin quickly filled with amusement.
"Looks like I'm late, Saber?"
Who is this person...? And why call him Saber?
Rin blinked in confusion.
Then, something clicked.
Wait... If I remember right, in the last Holy Grail War, the White Dragon manifested as the Saber class.
This girl calling him Saber...
Could she be a Master from the previous Holy Grail War too?
At that moment, Alvin snapped out of the warm moment.
Seeing Manaka Sajyou, his expression remained unchanged, but a warm smile spread across his face. "Manaka, you're finally willing to talk to me?"
Manaka froze slightly, as if just remembering they were still in a fight, and awkwardly looked away.
Seeing this, Alvin timely said.
"Anyway, let's head back first. About the transmigration issue, I need to discuss it with Lily."
If Britain only had to deal with ordinary transmigrators, it'd be manageable... But now, with such varied types of people, including Beasts—the situation was entirely different.
This time it was Sessyoin; who knew if an even tougher opponent would appear next?
They needed a strategy before that happened.
...
Late that night, Alvin returned to the palace with Rin and the others.
He first sent Agravain and others to Duke Cornwall's manor to handle the newly risen "cultist" incident.
Then, Alvin went to King Arthur's hall, explaining the afternoon's events in full detail.
At the end, after a moment of contemplation, Artoria said.
"If Beasts are among the transmigrators... Britain's defenses alone can't detect them immediately. Like this Beast, if your appearance wasn't so deceptive, Sessyoin Kiara might not have revealed herself so soon."
"But thanks to you... If her followers had grown more numerous, things would've become far more troublesome."
Artoria's delicate brows furrowed slightly.
'Is there any way to detect Beasts the moment they appear?' she wondered.
As if reading her thoughts, Alvin pondered for a moment, then smiled. "There is a way... This era may lack surveillance, but it has a humanoid camera."
"Surveillance...?"
Artoria didn't understand.
"Mm... Simply put, someone who can act as Britain's eyes.
The moment a Beast enters the city, he'd sense it immediately."
Artoria seemed to recall something, instinctively saying. "You mean..."
Alvin gazed into her eyes. "Merlin."
Merlin was used to slacking off and getting him to "work" was no easy task, especially if he hid in Avalon, where no one could force him out.
But it wasn't impossible...
At least, Alvin already had a plan to meet him.
"I heard you brought a girl back?"
After some casual talk, Artoria suddenly changed the subject.
Alvin nodded. "One of Sessyoin's brainwashed devotees... But she saw through the lies early on and stayed in the manor only to protect herself."
"You've probably met her before."
Artoria's brow raised slightly, curious. "Who?"
Alvin looked at Artoria and continued. "The child of the current head of the Tohsaka family, Rin Tohsaka."
Artoria recalled for a moment, then murmured thoughtfully. "Her..."
She did have some impression of the name.
After all, Ishtar had once possessed Rin Tohsaka's body for a time, and as a Servant, Artoria naturally remembered.
After chatting a bit more, Alvin timely bid farewell.
He didn't immediately return to his residence after all, there was one more thing to handle tonight.
Avalon was a wondrous place.
In Welsh mythology, it was another name for the land of bliss, King Arthur's final resting place.
In the Type-Moon world, it was also called the "Land of Fairies."
In other words, only mythical beings could enter Avalon.
And fortunately... Alvin was one such mythical being.
.....