Smash!
Waver hurled the crystal ball far away, fleeing as if escaping a crime scene.
The ball shattered on the ground, its broken glass glinting in the sunlight, forming a dazzling spectacle.
Then...
Kayneth and Kiritsugu Emiya crashed to the earth.
"???"
After a brief moment of confusion, their expressions turned to joy.
"Come to me, Karna!"
Crimson flames surged around Kayneth, and a man wielding a divine spear emerged from the blaze.
On the other side, Kiritsugu's face darkened. He bolted, fleeing backward.
"Kill him, Karna!"
Inside the crystal ball, they'd only spoken out of boredom and a need to escape. But now free, Kayneth, the "noble" Clock Tower lord, would never align with a killer like Kiritsugu.
Without hesitation, Karna's golden spear tore through the air, piercing Kiritsugu's heart like a meteor.
Kiritsugu's eyes lost their spark, his body lifeless, collapsing dead.
"...Karna, go to this place! Slaughter every mage there!"
Kayneth's face twisted with malice. From talks with Kiritsugu in the ball, he believed the Matou family's mages had trapped them—a humiliation he, as El-Melloi's lord, could not tolerate.
"...Master, I advise against it. The beings there are beyond your imagination."
Karna, receiving the address, spoke calmly, his expression unchanged, urging caution.
"Hmph! Mere sewer rats... they ambushed me. I must wash this shame in blood..."
Seeing Kayneth's venomous look, Karna fell silent. He didn't know how to dissuade him but knew going meant death.
Though he didn't particularly like Kayneth as a Master, he was still his Master, and Karna, the "Hero of Charity," didn't want him to die.
"Master... the Servant there is King Solomon!"
"..."
Karna's sudden words silenced Kayneth's rants. He paused...
Other Servants he could dismiss, but King Solomon... that name demanded caution.
The more one knew magecraft, the more one understood Solomon's might.
"How about this... I'll face King Solomon. If I win, we proceed. If I lose... Master, return home."
"Wait... hold on... we could ally with other teams to face Solomon together..."
Kayneth, now calm, recognized Solomon's power. Alone, they'd likely fail.
Allies increased victory's odds and prevented others from exploiting their fight.
"Hahaha... Master, no one will ally with you. King Solomon's Master holds the Grail... and has promised to grant others' wishes... so..."
"What?"
Kayneth's expression was one of utter shock, bewildered.
In disbelief, he asked, "They didn't suspect a trick?"
"There's no need for deception... I told you, they're unimaginably strong. If Master has a wish requiring the Grail, you could visit them. I believe they'd consider it."
Karna explained with a smile.
"...Tch..."
Kayneth frowned. He had no wish tied to the Grail, nor cared for others'. He fought for honor alone.
A "combat achievement."
But the situation baffled him.
Was King Solomon, even as a Servant, this formidable? Unmatched by so many?
Due to the information gap, Kayneth sank into deep confusion.
"Master? Shall I strike now?"
"No... we return first."
Still skeptical of Karna's words, Kayneth decided to consult Sola-Ui and probe further.
...
Meanwhile, Samuel returned from imaginary number space.
Nyarlathotep was a juicer, and Samuel an inexhaustible fruit, but...
Samuel, a man with purpose and a semblance of normalcy, grew tired of such antics—especially with just Nyarlathotep.
Ignoring her "desires," he locked her away and slipped out.
In short, Samuel was bored of Nyarlathotep and sought new fun!
Hmm... a bit of a scoundrel's vibe...
"Mommy?"
"Sakura?"
Suddenly, Samuel heard odd voices from a nearby room.
He opened the door and stepped inside.
The woman he'd picked up yesterday, Aoi, was clinging to Sakura.
Aoi seemed emotional, while Sakura's expression held a hint of distance... hesitation...
Her green hair swayed gently, tears in her eyes, her face haggard yet still strikingly beautiful.
"Onii-san..."
Seeing Samuel, Sakura slipped from Aoi's embrace, running to him.
Samuel scooped her up, playing with her, making her giggle happily.
"..."
Aoi felt an invisible wall of alienation rise between her and Sakura...
"Hello! I'm Samuel!"
Samuel flashed his usual smile—a deceptive one for strangers.
His dreamy, handsome face and transcendent aura always masked the falseness, captivating others with his charm.
"So handsome... How could I think that... I have... what do I have?"
Aoi gave a bitter smile, yesterday's memories slicing her heart like blades.
"What's wrong, Madam Aoi?"
"I'm not..."
Aoi instinctively started to respond but stopped, seeing Sakura in Samuel's arms.
Though Sakura was adopted out, she was still her daughter. Aoi didn't want her to know about her father...
"Sakura, be good. Find Dr. Roman, have him take you out to play."
"Dr. Roman's probably on his computer... he won't take me out..."
"Don't worry, I cut his internet. If he doesn't take you, no gaming for him."
Samuel's ruthless words echoed as Roman wailed from his room.
"Yay! Okay, onii-san, I'm going!"
With Sakura sent off, Samuel turned to Aoi, sensing a drama unfolding...
"...Please, listen to my troubles... Mr. Matou."
Mentioning "Matou" stung Aoi's heart.
"Spill it! Share your sorrows, let me... feel better."
"Huh?"
"No... sharing will help!"
Samuel said gently.
"Thank you..."
"By the way, I'm not a Matou. I'm Samuel!"
Aoi had meant to ask about Sakura's adoption to the Matou family, but it didn't matter now... whoever adopted her, it was irrelevant.
So...
"Holy crap! That's wild?"
After hearing Aoi's gossip—her tragic tale—Samuel was floored...
Written as a book, it'd be a BL bestseller...
He comforted Aoi.
You've got to move forward! Be strong, and all that.
"Um... Mr. Samuel, I have a request... I want to take Sakura back... Could you..."
"I refuse."
Samuel's smile turned resolute, unshakable, his eyes cold as ice.
Sympathy was one thing, but taking Sakura? No way.
"Ms. Aoi... I'll allow frequent visits, but not taking her. Frankly... Sakura wouldn't want to go with you now."
"I..."
Aoi froze, pondering if Sakura would leave with her. Recalling Sakura's hesitation in her arms versus her joy with Samuel, she knew... Sakura wouldn't choose her.
"I..."
Aoi's face paled, her strength fading.
She stood shakily, looking as if she might collapse before reaching home.
Sure enough...
Overwhelmed by recent blows, she didn't notice the table's edge, tripping over it.
She fell... into Samuel's arms...
"???"
As Samuel stood puzzled, Aoi sprang up like a rebound, knocking over a kettle behind her. Water soaked her clothes...
Her modest attire lost sixty percent of its coverage. Though nothing was visible, its allure surged.
Instinctively, Aoi covered herself. As a traditional woman, married, she shouldn't be seen by others...
"But now... am I really married?"
Resentment for Tokiomi welled up, a strange filter tinting her vision.
Samuel's already dreamlike face, now layered with chaotic allure...
As hatred surged, the desire for revenge coiled in her heart...
Aoi stopped covering herself. Instead... she sat on Samuel's lap...
"???"
Utterly baffled... Samuel's expression mirrored the readers'. He didn't know what twisted path Aoi's mind had taken.
But, like anyone in this situation, he didn't care and acted as most would...
***
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