Self-Geas Scroll.
A cursed contract used by magi to forge unbreakable pacts, binding both parties to agreed-upon restrictions and terms.
'It worked!'
Seeing the two parchment scrolls Kiritsugu had produced, Waver allowed himself a quiet moment of relief.
If the man had gone this far, acceptance was essentially confirmed. All that remained was negotiating the specifics.
"Mm."
Swallowing another mouthful of food, Saber found the whole scene rather too peaceful.
Given Kiritsugu's usual methods, the two sides shouldn't have been this harmonious.
"Heh."
Meanwhile, Rider reclined in his chair, watching everything unfold with the detachment of a spectator.
The two discussed terms. Eventually, Kiritsugu and Waver reached an accord.
[Upon the successful implementation of the following conditions, this oath shall become a binding constraint upon its subjects, without exception.]
The document detailed the mutual obligations between the two.
Emiya Kiritsugu!
Waver Velvet!
After verifying the contents, both signed their respective scrolls.
"Contract established."
"That's the first step."
With the nerve-wracking task complete, Waver found that Kiritsugu wasn't as unapproachable as he'd feared.
Maybe the man was actually... normal?
"We may become enemies again someday, but for now, I look forward to working together, Rider."
With the formalities concluded, Saber was visibly energized.
The prospect of fighting alongside this unknown "King of Britannia" clearly pleased her.
"That's my line, Saber. I'll be counting on your support."
Rising to his feet, Lelouch didn't point out the pact's glaring loophole. Instead, he offered a practiced smile.
"..."
Kiritsugu stood abruptly and turned to leave without another word.
"I hope our next meeting will be this civil."
Saber, puzzled by her Master's sudden departure, could only follow.
"For a 'Magus Killer,' he's surprisingly... normal in person."
Watching Kiritsugu disappear into the crowd, Waver collapsed into his chair, finally dropping the composure he'd been white-knuckling.
"Being fooled by such a simple facade, lowering your guard to that extent, means you're not far from elimination."
Rider's sardonic tone made Waver freeze.
"Never mind the rest. Take a good look at the pact you signed with him. It's riddled with problems."
"?"
Oblivious, Waver picked up Kiritsugu's scroll and re-read it.
"This is why you're still too naive."
"He projected a harmless demeanor specifically to stop you from overthinking. Your attention shifted, and you missed what should have been obvious."
Pointing to a particular clause, Lelouch spelled it out.
[During the alliance's duration, Emiya Kiritsugu and Waver Velvet shall not harbor intent to kill or harm one another, nor take action to that effect.]
"You don't honestly believe that clause alone protects you from him?"
"The entire pact contains no provision restricting either side's Servant."
Realization crashed over Waver.
Kiritsugu was indeed bound from harming him personally. But Saber wasn't subject to this restriction.
In other words, whenever Kiritsugu decided the alliance had run its course, one opportunistic moment with Saber, and Waver was dead.
"Then why didn't you say something earlier?!"
Face burning, Waver slammed both palms on the table in frustration.
He'd felt quietly proud of his first "diplomatic mission," only to discover he'd been outmaneuvered without realizing it.
"Relax."
"The pact has exploitable gaps for him, but equally for us."
"Every coin has two sides."
Lelouch had stayed silent for precisely this reason.
A watertight pact would have left him no room to maneuver either.
Upon seeing the deliberately loose terms, both Kiritsugu and Lelouch had breathed quiet sighs of relief.
Enough mutual assistance to be functional. Enough ambiguity to be dangerous. That was the ideal arrangement.
From this perspective, Waver's youthful sincerity had actually brought the alliance to a surprisingly workable state, at least in Lelouch's estimation.
And that was exactly why he'd stayed silent throughout.
"You people probably had the entire script written before you even sat down!!"
Lelouch's nonchalant expression confirmed something for Waver.
The "alliance" he'd painstakingly negotiated was, in both veterans' eyes, nothing more than a formality.
In plain terms: "As long as you went through the motions. The process didn't matter. The result was predetermined."
Deception and subterfuge.
Young Waver finally, viscerally understood the weight of those words.
He truly had been out of his depth.
"Something feels off."
"Hmm?"
Watching Jonouchi arrange cards on the table, Sakura Kyoko hopped up from the couch.
"What's wrong?"
Walking over, she studied the neatly laid-out cards.
"Well, I did finally get two familiar partners."
"But the rest are all strange ones again."
Picking up two monster cards, Kyoko read the names.
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon]
[Time Wizard]
Just looking at them, she could sense the formidable power sealed within.
Her gaze drifted to the other cards, red and green, the same type she'd already experienced in combat.
[Skill Drain]
[Dark Hole]
[Fiend's Chain]
[Monster Reborn]
"Hard to believe these little cards pack that much power."
Though she couldn't read the effects in detail, Kyoko knew better than to underestimate them. She'd been on the receiving end more than once.
"Where are you going?"
"Out to get food!"
A moment later, Jonouchi was still studying the cards when he noticed Kyoko heading for the door.
"Don't steal anything."
"Tch, I won't!"
Exactly like Sayaka. That same "annoying" streak. Kyoko whipped her head around and snapped back.
Living alongside someone brimming with a sense of justice meant she had to keep herself in check.
After her family's collapse following her contract as a Magical Girl, Kyoko had become "a Magical Girl who won't use magic for anyone else's sake."
In her eyes, using power for others instead of yourself was a little bit "stupid."
And then Sayaka had appeared. That "idiot."
"Heh. Not so bad."
"Two of the same kind of idiot in the world."
"What a miraculous place."
Remembering how nearly identical Sayaka and Jonouchi were in personality and attitude, Kyoko reached the street and couldn't stifle a smile.
"If I get the chance, I'd really like to introduce those two to each other."
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]