"With that, the only class left is Assassin, is it? The Holy Grail War is finally about to begin."
In the underground workshop of the Tohsaka residence in Miyama Town, Fuyuki, Tokisaka Tohsaka gazed at the spirit board held by his disciple, Kotomine Kirei—a device used by the Church to monitor the status of Servants—and fell into thought.
Based on the intelligence he had gathered so far, the participants in this Holy Grail War included not only the "Three Founding Families," but also the head of the Archibald family, a genius magus from the Clock Tower, and possibly the Sajou family, who might also have been chosen as Masters.
To ensure the Tohsaka family's victory this time, Tokisaka Tohsaka had made a special arrangement with his old friend, Kotomine Risei. He had taken Risei's son, Kirei, as a disciple for the sole purpose of gaining intelligence from another angle during the war.
"Assassin will likely be summoned in a few days. But, Teacher... is that Servant truly not a problem?"
Although his words conveyed concern, Kotomine Kirei's expression remained unchanged, without even a flicker of inflection in his tone, as if his inner self was a complete void, his eyes as still as dead water.
"Hah, rest assured, Kirei. While that King may be somewhat capricious in personality, his power is beyond question. Besides, we have the Command Spells. As long as we save one for the very end, the plan will proceed smoothly."
Knowing what his disciple was worried about, Tokisaka Tohsaka chuckled and patted him on the shoulder, signaling that there was no need for concern.
At the same time, he picked up a glass, took a light sip of red wine, and a graceful, confident smile graced his face, as if victory was already in his grasp.
But in Kotomine Kirei's eyes, none of this stirred any ripple in his heart.
The reason he had spoken those words earlier was that during the summoning, he had noticed the golden King cast a gleeful look at him, a look that seemed to see through everything, which had left him slightly perplexed.
Kotomine Kirei stared at Tokisaka Tohsaka's back, his somber face tinged with the slight anguish of self-questioning.
He could not understand his teacher's joy, nor did he know if he should feel happy alongside him.
My Lord, if You can truly hear the confessions of all Your lambs, then please, tell me.
What is it that I am searching for...
...
Three days later, at F Airport, the closest airport to Fuyuki City, a plane originating from Germany slowly landed on the runway.
Soon, from the cabin door emerged a mature woman with silver hair and red eyes. She was dressed in a silver fox fur coat and knee-high boots, with a silk shawl draped over her shoulders. Her lovely face was alight with excitement as if on her first outing, and she looked all around.
"Wow, so this is Japan? I've read about it in books, but some things you really have to see in person to feel the difference."
"I hear that the 'BL culture' in this country is very well-developed. The Holy Grail War won't be held openly during the day anyway, so why don't we go check out a bookstore nearby, Saber!"
Faced with the anticipation shining in Irisviel's pure and innocent eyes, Arthur, who was dressed in a tailored black suit like a classic court steward, felt his eyebrow twitch slightly. He gave a dry laugh.
"If you are looking for that kind of book, please forgive me, but I cannot accompany you, Master. However, to ensure your safety, I will remain in spirit form and protect you from outside the bookstore."
He understood his Master's interests. After spending these past few days together, even if Arthur hadn't wanted to learn, he had been filled in on all sorts of strange knowledge from Irisviel's own mouth. Sometimes, the good-natured woman would even try to recommend "BL culture" books to him.
Honestly, if he could, Arthur really wanted to wash his brain out and give his past self a good scolding for not being able to refuse the books his Master recommended with such pleading eyes. As a result, he had nearly had nightmares for the past few days.
"Eh... Saber, you're not going to pick out a few? You finished reading all the ones I recommended to you the other day."
Irisviel blinked in confusion. Although she understood her duty in this Holy Grail War and the Einzbern family's wish, it was precisely because she understood that she wanted to enjoy her life one last time.
"Please do not make me recall that matter again, Master."
Arthur put a hand to his forehead and spoke with a headache. Honestly, he would rather fight an enemy on the level of that Roman emperor, Lucius Tiberius, again than read another book of that type.
"Alright, in that case, let's just wander around for a bit. We can use it as a way to draw out the enemy."
Seeing that she had lost a "fellow enthusiast," Irisviel sighed in regret. She had no choice but to put away her unique hobby and adjust her mindset for the Holy Grail War.
"...In that case, I am most grateful, Master."
Arthur couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, thankful that he had dodged a bullet.
However, he had no objections to the strategy Irisviel had adopted.
He himself possessed no special reconnaissance abilities and couldn't find enemy Servants in a short time. His Master had also just arrived and couldn't gather all the necessary intelligence at once with her familiars.
So, the best method for now was to take the initiative, provoke the first battle, and then adjust their strategy based on the situation.
Although this plan was slightly risky and could easily be exploited by a third party, Arthur was confident in his own strength. Besides, he desperately needed a battle to help him forget certain things.
After deciding on their plan, the Master and Servant pair began to stroll through Fuyuki's commercial district like ordinary tourists.
It wasn't until the sun had set and night painted the sky that Arthur, after seeking Irisviel's permission, went to a warehouse district on the eastern side of the waterfront park, a place almost no one visited, and summoned his equipment.
His black suit was instantly replaced by shining silver armor and a blue cape. A holy sword, sheathed in a bladed scabbard and hidden by invisible air currents, materialized in Arthur's hand.
The next second, under the night sky, a clear fighting aura was released from the King of Knights without any concealment, announcing to all enemies lurking in the shadows that he was here.
...
Meanwhile, at the Sajou residence, in the [Botanical Garden].
As if sensing something, Aozaki Rin, having set up all the defenses around the house, turned to Sajou Manaka and smiled.
"Well then, I'm going to go test the waters. You can observe the enemy through the images sent back by the familiars and formulate a strategy, Sister."
"Okay. But if it gets too dangerous, remember to come back right away, Rei. At worst, we'll just give up on the Holy Grail."
After procrastinating for three days, Manaka still couldn't bring herself to tell the truth. Feeling inexplicably annoyed with herself, she could only temporarily adopt a strategy of pretending to send the young man out to fight while she figured out a way to deal with the other Masters as quickly as possible.
And so, at this moment, she displayed a worried yet obedient demeanor, indicating that she would stay safely at home and not add any further risks.
"I know. I won't push myself, Sister."
With a soft laugh, the young man snapped his fingers. Amidst a flurry of countless papers, his figure vanished.
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (290 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (240 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (110 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (120 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (310 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (120 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (140 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(70 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (193 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (140 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (100 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (70 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (100 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (120 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (120 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (85 Chapter)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (60 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (70 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (120 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (120 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (60 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (90 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (90 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (70 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (70 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (70 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (70 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it.