"A Holy Grail War intelligence expert…?"
Seeing that the other family heads were still confused, Genji Asama tapped his knuckles on the table, producing a crisp tok tok tok. He had no choice but to explain further, recounting in detail the circumstances of his private meeting with Shirou and what he had learned.
"As some of you may have already suspected, these 'Heroic Spirits' are connected to 'Odin.' When I first met with Shirou-san, we discussed exactly this…"
"We concluded that an organization composed of Odin, the Ghost Faction, and other foreign powers is attempting to create 'Heroic Spirits' and this so-called 'Holy Grail War'—and from the look of it, they have already succeeded to a significant degree."
"It's obvious that the Odin Incident in Shenzhou revealed the organization's ambitions. With the Ghost Faction's aid, they likely found divine remains and developed a way to harness the authority of 'gods,' creating these incredible Heroic Spirit weapons."
"There is only one question we still cannot answer: why would the Ghost Faction, or other possible masterminds, publicly stage the Holy Grail War? What hidden purpose does this serve?"
"But regardless of their intentions, if our family chooses to stay out of it, we will only be at the mercy of the Servants' battles. We cannot hesitate any longer—hesitation will only lead to defeat! To defend ourselves, the family must secure at least one Master slot and gain the right to summon a Heroic Spirit. If necessary, I will personally act as Master!"
Genji Asama's voice rose and fell with impassioned vigor. His hand gripped the hilt at his waist, his fingers brushing the chrysanthemum crest on the sheath of Spider-Cutter. Golden light, like molten bronze, burned in his eyes. The family heads were struck silent by the determination of the current Shadow Emperor.
From the known intelligence, being a Master carried the highest risk. A Servant's existence depended on their Master; in the Holy Grail War, the most efficient way to eliminate opponents was to assassinate the Master.
"That's why I invited Shirou-san—to learn more about the Holy Grail War and give our family the advantage. Rest assured, this is a fair trade with no sentiment involved. Whether or not it bears fruit, we will reward him handsomely…"
"Shirou-san? Shirou-san?"
Genji Asama had just finished laying out the information and his next step. He was about to confirm Shirou's stance on the deal—even if Shirou demanded "payment up front," that would be fine—
But when he turned to look, Shirou and "Erii" were hunched together, two matching red heads close enough to touch, busily scribbling on paper… Shirou, what in the world are you doing!?
It was like a teacher calling on their best student to answer a difficult question, only to find the top two students passing notes and making eyes at each other!
Looking closer—yes, they were actually passing notes!
He didn't know what they were talking about, but remembering his earlier thought that "Shirou probably won't lead Erii astray," Genji Asama decided to abandon that fantasy. He would remain wary of anyone trying to get close to his sister.
"Ahem!"
Under Genji Asama's repeated throat-clearing, Shirou finally realized that the solemn atmosphere of the meeting was probably not the best time to exchange messages with the undercover Nono. He tucked away the small scraps of paper—covered with rebellious lines like "Staying in this dump is like being in prison, I can't stand it"—into his pocket.
"Gen-san, you're saying you want to participate in the Holy Grail War?" Shirou's voice echoed in the room. "If that's your decision, I have no right to oppose it. But are you certain you have a wish worthy of entrusting to the Grail? Without one, the Grail may not respond to your summons."
"A… wish…"
Genji Asama was taken aback. His fingers unconsciously caressed Spider-Cutter's sheath, the cold touch bringing back the memory of that rainy night.
He did have a wish—at least he once did. When he had just joined the Enforcement Bureau, full of youthful blood and righteousness, he believed his blade could cut down all evil. Back then, his heart burned with hatred for demons and a desire to cleanse the world.
But that lofty ideal was shattered when he was forced to kill his own brother. The warm blood that splashed across his face that day cooled his passion. From then on, he understood: so-called justice was just a bloody fairy tale. A demon slayer was nothing more than a cold executioner.
That day, when he drove his blade into Genji Asajo's chest, something in him died. What kept him going, staying in the Shadow Emperor's seat until now, was simply a sense of responsibility.
Did he have any great wish that required the Grail's power? For Erii to overcome her condition and smile freely? For the Eight Snake Families to grow strong under their father's leadership?
No—those were others' wishes, not his own. His own was…
"Shirou, I do have a wish!"
He raised his head. In his mind's eye, he saw countless figures lying in pools of blood, heard the clash of blades. These sounds merged into a mournful requiem, echoing through the thousand-year fate of hybrids.
His eyes now reflected not anger or passion, but sorrow—the sorrow for those who died in demon hunts or Ghost Faction battles, friend and foe alike, their bodies piling into mountains of bone and seas of blood.
"If the Grail could grant me one wish…"
His voice was quiet but edged with steel. He wished to end the tragic history—this fate—of hybrids slaughtering their own kind within this nation.
"…Even if others might call it hypocritical."
"In that case, let's talk about the next step. For summoning a Heroic Spirit, two factors are key: the choice of Catalyst, and the compatibility of the Master."
Shirou nodded, repeating the explanation he had once given Su Enxi, then added, "Neither is particularly difficult to address."
"Oh? Do tell."
Genji Asama listened intently, and the family heads leaned forward.
"You're a direct descendant of the Minamoto clan. Your swords are all famous blades passed down from your ancestors. Using them as a Catalyst, combined with your bloodline and your role as a demon slayer, there's a high probability you'll summon the legendary demon-killer from over a thousand years ago—Minamoto no Raikou."
"In the absence of divine spirits descending through the Grail, summoning Raikou is your best option. Here's another piece of intel: a Heroic Spirit's strength is affected by something called 'Fame.'"
"Fame?"
Genji Asama understood the rest, but this sounded almost superstitious.
"In short—it's about how well-known the Heroic Spirit's legend is in the place they're summoned. The more famous they are locally, the more their strength is boosted when they manifest as a Servant."
For example, Vlad III in the Fate/Apocrypha timeline was summoned in Transylvania, Romania—his fame there was at its peak, giving him the highest Fame bonus. Without it, his power would drop by about 40%, and his speed would suffer.
Likewise, if Raikou were summoned in Japan, she would benefit from a Fame bonus, and if summoned in Kyoto—her home region—she would receive the maximum possible boost.
Unfortunately, this was Tokyo. Tokyo's history wasn't as long as Kyoto's, so Raikou's strength would be boosted, but not to the maximum.
"No matter. This is still an excellent advantage!"
Genji Asama's confidence swelled. In this country, no demon-slayer was more famous than his ancestor Raikou. Even if the Ghost Faction summoned Shuten Dōji, that demon was already one of Raikou's victims a millennium ago!
As for foreign powers, their Servants would gain no such boost here. The Eight Snake Families would hold an overwhelming advantage.
His blood surged—he had to summon his ancestor Raikou immediately!
"Hold it!"
The old man Fūma Kotarō spoke up. "Spider-Cutter and Dōjigiri Yasutsuna are fine Catalysts, but they've been wielded by many family heads over the years. There's a chance they could summon some other lesser-known Minamoto ancestor, isn't there?"
Genji Asama's excitement dimmed. "What are you suggesting, Fūma-dono?"
"I recall the family stores still hold the unused ancient blade Oni-Cutter, said to be one of the Minamoto swords, alongside Spider-Cutter and Dōjigiri. There's also the family armor 'Tatenashi no Yoroi' and the 'Hoshikabuto' helmet…"
These were all relics tied to Raikou in legend. "Shirou-dono, I think relying on just the swords isn't safe. Could we add more Catalysts before the summoning to ensure a precise summon?"
Genji Asama: "?"
"Seconded!" The white-haired Inuyama family head, Inuyama Gai, suddenly spoke up, making his presence known.
The two old men met Genji Asama's puzzled gaze, gritting their teeth to hold their ground—
For they could hardly admit, in front of the other family heads: You might not actually be a Minamoto descendant at all, but the son of the late Shadow Emperor Uesugi Koshin, so summoning Raikou might not work.
(End of Chapter)
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