Lately, Genji Asama had been feeling that his younger sister was acting a little strange.
To be precise, Erii had always seemed out of place in normal society due to her unusual upbringing, but recently her behavior showed subtle differences from before.
Just the day before, Genji Asama stood outside the ICU's glass window and saw the light in his sister's room. "Erii" was obediently sitting on that snow-white bed, like a butterfly trapped inside a crystal globe. Her fingers gently stroked the edge of the sheet, her gaze vacant and fixed on the ceiling.
Her appearance and expression were just as they had always been.
But Genji Asama still felt that something was off.
He flipped through the latest report from the medical team. "Erii's" behavioral patterns had indeed changed slightly.
In the past, whenever Genji Asama had the rare chance to visit her, Erii would always pull her big brother into a gaming match. On the rare occasions he needed her abilities for something, Genji Asama would also play a few rounds of Street Fighter or Samurai Shodown with her as "compensation."
Now, she no longer spent hours every day hugging her controller, nor did she insist on dragging her brother into arcade matches… She still played, but far less often and for shorter periods. The fighting games she had once been so obsessed with—Street Fighter, King of Fighters, Samurai Shodown, Mortal Kombat—suddenly seemed to have lost much of their appeal.
In truth, Erii's gaming habit wasn't born from an unshakable love for the games themselves, but because her life was too simple and dull. Unable to go outside, unable to interact with people, and cut off from outside information, she developed hobbies not unlike those of a shut-in, with gaming becoming an indispensable way to make friends and interact.
According to the medical team's recent observations, she still watched TV every day as usual, still took her long baths, still remembered to bring her little yellow duck toy into the bathroom, only now her baths seemed to last even longer.
Her mental state had also been consistently calm. During Genji Asama's time away, there had been no signs of her "demonic transformation" losing control. Her dangerous bloodline no longer stirred—almost as if it had gone dormant or disappeared altogether.
The medical team was intrigued. They believed her dangerous bloodline had entered a kind of hibernation, like an animal in winter, possibly related to her recent peaceful mindset.
Such cases weren't unheard of among the Eight Snake Families. Many members deemed "dangerous bloodlines" were kept under strict watch and closed management. They underwent periodic psychological evaluations to assess their risk of turning into demons.
Most did not end well—some tried to defect to the Ghost Faction, becoming enemies; others suffered mental breakdowns and transformed into demons, only to be executed by the family. Those who could remain stable were very rare.
After all, not everyone could endure a prison-like, joyless life unless they were some enlightened monk or ascetic.
And yet Erii seemed to be one such case. Genji Asama didn't understand what kind of transformation had occurred in her inner world—it was as if she had undergone some kind of rebirth.
Back to the present—seeing "Erii" sitting calmly in the meeting room, boldly taking a seat right beside Shirou, looking as though they were already well-acquainted—
A faint suspicion arose in Genji Asama's mind. Could it be that Erii had secretly gotten to know Shirou behind his back?
"Erii, Erii."
Genji Asama, sitting far away, couldn't get up, so he lowered his voice to remind "Erii" that she was sitting in the wrong place. "That's the guest seat. You're supposed to sit in the Uesugi family head's position."
"Erii" glanced at him but ignored him, lowering her head and pulling something from her pocket…
Genji Asama's heart skipped a beat. Please don't take out a game console and start playing here of all places! If we have to listen to your game sound effects while holding a serious meeting, what kind of scene would that be!?
But instead of a console, "Erii" took out a notebook, quickly wrote two lines, tore off a small piece of paper, and with a flick of her wrist sent it gliding gracefully across the room to land perfectly in Genji Asama's hand—all in full view of the other family heads.
…It was just like passing notes in the middle of an exam, except the ones doing it weren't students but high-ranking leaders, leaving the "invigilators" at a loss for words.
Genji Asama unfolded the paper and read the concise explanation:
"Shirou is a good friend, not a guest."
"Met through online gaming."
Ah, so that's how it was. His doubts about her recent changes faded a little. While Erii's social interactions had to be strictly monitored, Genji Asama's own contact with Shirou convinced him the man was upright and trustworthy—not someone likely to lead his sister astray.
Still, the earlier intel didn't mention Shirou being into gaming. Maybe it was a recent hobby…?
Clearing his throat, Genji Asama began the official meeting.
Aside from the absent patriarch and the Miyamoto family head tied up with personally overseeing the Iwanaga Research Institute project, all the other heads were present—a rare and grand gathering.
Even among the heads, not everyone lived in Tokyo; the Eight Snake Families' lands and businesses were spread across the country, and many were away managing local affairs or industries. It was normal for some to skip even New Year celebrations.
The current scene was like a gathering of Sengoku-era warlords with their most trusted retainers, the halls heavily guarded, no outsiders allowed.
In such a top-secret setting, even Genji Asama's close aides, Crow Yasha and Yabuki Sakura, were excluded—but Shirou had been invited in, which shocked the uninformed family heads.
"This time, we gather to discuss a matter concerning the very survival of the Eight Snake Families."
Seeing the questions in their eyes, Genji Asama dropped this grave opening to command their full attention.
"The recent 'Shinjuku Incident'—none of you can be unaware. But what some of you may not know is that it was only the beginning. It's connected to a massive event about to sweep this city, called the 'Holy Grail War'…"
He recounted the attack at Aoiya, the subsequent destruction of city blocks by the enemy Heroic Spirit, and displayed classified images, videos, and intelligence reports via projector.
"As you can see, the Shinjuku Incident was merely a rehearsal. The Holy Grail War's main combatants, called 'Servants,' are essentially Heroic Spirits—the same type as the enemy in Shinjuku…"
"In other words, they're spirits of the dead. They're immune to physical weapons, appear and vanish at will, and are overwhelmingly powerful in direct combat—even this 'God Slayer' Shirou couldn't take one down easily."
Genji Asama slammed a fist on the table. "That's the problem. Even with all our strength, we can't stop the Holy Grail War from happening, nor keep ourselves untouched by it."
Even with someone like Uesugi Erii, the Eight Snake Families couldn't be sure they could handle all the Heroic Spirits.
Judging from the destruction in Shinjuku, when the real Holy Grail War came and seven Servants fought, the devastation would be unimaginable—not just for the families but for Tokyo itself.
The words "Holy Grail War," "Heroic Spirit," "Servant," and "Master" struck the family heads like a hammer.
The older ones, like Inuyama Gai and Fūma Kotarō, almost instinctively wanted to deny such a possibility. How could so many warriors on par with Emperor-class hybrids appear at once!?
But the hard evidence before them, plus Genji Asama's reputation for precision, left them no choice but to accept it.
The black-clad Fūma Kotarō finally asked, "Since you've called us together, I assume you have a plan?"
He glanced toward Shirou and "Erii" in the guest seats. From the videos, Shirou was clearly a peerless force against Heroic Spirits, no less strategically important than their own family weapon, Erii.
If they could unite with him, stabilizing Tokyo might be possible. Was that why he had been invited?
Genji Asama caught the look but shook his head.
They had already tried to recruit Shirou—first himself, then the Sakurai family head—without much success. Repeated or heavy-handed attempts would only cause resentment. This time was purely a matter of mutual benefit.
"Rest assured," Genji Asama declared firmly.
"I am determined to stop this so-called Holy Grail War from destroying Tokyo. We don't know what schemes the enemy hides, but one thing is clear: the only way to fight a Heroic Spirit is with a Heroic Spirit!"
"And the reason I invited Shirou here is because he is an expert in Holy Grail War intelligence!"
(End of Chapter)
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