"Damn them... conspiring with the Church to set up a trap like this?"
Matou Kariya had also received the summons through familiars. The scheme behind it took little effort to decipher.
The reward sounded enticing. But claiming a Command Spell required a face-to-face meeting with the overseer.
Which meant Sakura's identity would be exposed the moment she stepped forward.
After that, a little girl of her stature would never survive the attention of every Master-Servant pair in this war.
No matter how powerful Berserker was, he couldn't permanently shield Sakura from a coordinated effort by multiple factions lying in wait.
Even the use of familiars was something Kariya handled on her behalf. Sakura herself hadn't learned any magecraft or possessed any knowledge of the craft.
She was just a girl with a vague understanding of what "magi" were. Being thrust into a "Holy Grail War" at this age was already beyond reason, let alone actively participating.
Without Berserker's exceptional nature, keeping her safe would have been impossible.
"If we don't go, we'll fall a Command Spell behind the others."
"If we go, we'll be exposed."
Understanding the dilemma, Kariya's brow furrowed deep.
If possible, he would have impersonated the Master himself. But it wouldn't work. Risei would immediately see through a man bearing no Command Spell contract.
"!"
A hand tapped his shoulder. Kariya whirled to find Berserker gently shaking his head.
"?"
Unable to grasp the meaning, Kariya stared in confusion.
Then he noticed the drawing board. Written in neat, bold strokes were four characters.
[No need to worry.]
Unable to speak, Berserker had been relying on a drawing board to communicate. A practical if unusual method.
"But--"
[No matter how well we hide, they'll find us eventually.]
[Only by ending this war ourselves will she be safe.]
Before Kariya could finish, Berserker had already written two more lines with astonishing speed.
"Mm..."
Falling silent, Kariya acknowledged the truth.
From the moment Sakura entered this war, staying on the sidelines was never an option. And with a Servant of Berserker's caliber, she would only draw more attention.
Attention that could evolve into coordinated targeting.
Exactly like Tokiomi and the Church were doing now.
Did anyone honestly believe only Tokiomi wanted to know Berserker's Master?
No.
Whether it was Saber's camp, Rider's camp, or any other, they all wanted to know.
So even knowing it was a trap, every faction would cooperate. Because Berserker's overwhelming strength demanded it.
This seemingly anti-Lancer operation was, in truth, a "collective doxxing" aimed at Berserker and Sakura.
They could ignore this one, even forfeit the Command Spell.
But the scrutiny would only intensify.
A Master who showed zero interest in a free Command Spell? That alone would raise eyebrows.
The next provocation would surely be worse. This was the definition of being cornered.
"So what are you going to do?"
With no clear course of his own, Kariya asked the Servant before him.
He'd been planning to track Tokiomi's movements and "assassinate" him. But the man never left the house, rendering weeks of surveillance completely wasted.
[While they hunt Lancer--]
[I hunt them!]
Kariya swallowed hard. The resolve in those written words was unmistakable.
"But--"
He wanted to say more. But looking at Berserker's back, the words died in his throat.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know. I've got a bad feeling."
Kyoko cocked her head at Jonouchi, who was scanning their surroundings with arms crossed and a contemplative frown.
"A bad feeling?"
She couldn't understand where it was coming from.
"Yeah. My gut's never wrong."
"I think something nasty is about to hit."
"Let's move!"
Trusting his intuition without hesitation, Jonouchi grabbed Kyoko's hand and broke into a sprint.
"Hey!"
Dragged along at top speed, Kyoko shouted in protest.
But Jonouchi didn't respond, just kept running.
Moments after they vanished, a new visitor arrived.
"Gone?"
Kenshin had returned, only to find the area empty. Lancer and Caster had both disappeared.
More puzzling still, the two hadn't seemed to fight each other.
"Perhaps they've allied after all."
That was the only logical explanation.
Caster was an unusual magus. If he was supporting Lancer, the extermination would face complications.
"You truly never fail to surprise this King."
Gilgamesh sat in a chair, studying a map spread across the table.
"I merely thought that a King limited by mana constraints would be diminished in stature."
"Hence, I prepared this gift."
Bowing deeply, Kotomine Kirei spoke with measured respect.
The "tribute" he offered the King of Heroes was the location of a ley line within Fuyuki City.
Assassin had scouted it. Using knowledge passed down by his father Risei, Kirei could tap a ley line to supplement a Servant's mana.
A resource that could benefit even the Heroic King.
"Hahaha! Magnificent!"
"This gift pleases the King greatly."
"Kirei, you are far more perceptive than Tokiomi ever was."
Every comparison only made Gilgamesh more favorable toward Kirei.
As for mana itself, Gilgamesh could manage without external help, so long as he didn't deploy Ea. His treasury contained supplementary tools as well. But no one rejected abundance.
A new idea stirred within him.
Why not simply dispose of Tokiomi, that man who couldn't read a room?
Better to let the "disobedient subject" who presumed to call himself "Master" disappear.
After all, a far more suitable Master stood right before him.
"Sit, Kirei. The King permits it."
Receiving such an invitation from Gilgamesh, Kirei was momentarily taken aback.
Not everyone earned the privilege of sitting with the King.
Every move he'd made had been the right one.
"Tokiomi seems to be scheming again."
"Acting unilaterally without reporting to the King."
Swirling wine into a goblet, Gilgamesh remarked pointedly.
"It's a trap aimed at drawing out Berserker's Master."
Kirei answered truthfully, concealing nothing.
"Hmph. Tedious little men."
"Knowing they cannot handle Berserker directly, so they shift their attention to his Master."
"A petty man's approach."
Swirling his wine, Gilgamesh saw through Tokiomi's plan in an instant.
Watching the King closely, Kirei then heard something that nearly stopped his heart.
"However... if that man were to learn that Berserker's Master is his own daughter..."
"What expression would he make, I wonder?"
"How delightful."
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]
PS: And here's the last remaining character data.
Rider (Lelouch):
Knightmare Summoning (A): Can summon and pilot Knightmare Frames from his lifetime. Summoned units retain all original functions but require mana to operate.
Geass (A++): Power obtained through a contract with "the Witch C.C." Possesses the "Power of Absolute Obedience." Activated through direct eye contact. Can be used simultaneously on multiple targets. Subjects will execute the given command unconditionally, overriding beliefs, thoughts, ethics, and perception. Lelouch once used this power to control every official and soldier of the Holy Britannian Empire, ascending as its 99th Emperor.