"So—"
"Emiya Kiritsugu and the Heroic Spirit known as Artoria simply cannot get along no matter what."
He had reached that conclusion and given up trying.
Irisviel felt somewhat regretful about this, but at least she could still act as the bridge between Master and Servant beside Kiritsugu.
And Saber was not an unreasonable or irrational person.
…
Artoria fell silent for a moment before turning to Irisviel.
"You and Kiritsugu wish to save the world using the power of the Holy Grail, correct?"
"Yes."
Irisviel nodded.
"Although I may simply be repeating Kiritsugu's ideals like a parrot, the desire to save the world is genuine."
"That is enough."
"Even if my compatibility with my Master is poor, the wish I seek to realize through the Holy Grail is the same as yours."
"I wish to save the Britain that I failed to protect."
A flash of sorrow and regret passed through Artoria's eyes, only to be instantly replaced by determination.
"Airi, I believe the path you and Kiritsugu pursue is the right one—a road you can take pride in."
"So allow me to contribute my strength as well."
"Of course. Please take care of us, Saber."
Irisviel smiled warmly.
Having reached a consensus about obtaining the Holy Grail, Irisviel and Artoria turned their gazes back toward the snowy field outside the castle, where the father and daughter were still playing.
But at that moment—
"!!"
Artoria's Instinct (Rank A) suddenly flared.
Her eyes sharpened instantly as she looked toward the distant sky.
Without hesitation, a silver suit of armor materialized around her body.
The Invisible Air–concealed sword appeared in her hand.
With a single strike—
Crash!
The window shattered.
"Saber?!"
Irisviel's expression changed in shock. She had just opened her mouth to ask what had happened—
But Artoria had already stepped off the windowsill and leapt dozens of meters away.
And then—
A pillar of rainbow light descended from the sky.
It passed effortlessly through the warning and defensive barriers of Einzbern Castle.
A surge of foreign magical energy immediately triggered alarms that echoed throughout the entire castle.
Dozens of white-haired, red-eyed homunculus combat maids mobilized instantly.
Meanwhile—
Kiritsugu and Illya, who was sitting on his shoulders, both looked toward the brilliant rainbow beam.
"What a beautiful rainbow…"
Illya couldn't help but marvel.
But Kiritsugu clearly understood the danger hidden beneath that beauty.
He raised his hand immediately.
"Saber!"
The crimson sword-shaped Command Seal on the back of his right hand glowed.
Under the authority of the Master, one of the three Command Seals was about to be consumed to forcibly summon his Servant.
But just as the summoning began—
The glow suddenly extinguished.
Because Saber—
The fully armed Artoria Pendragon had already flashed into position before him.
Kiritsugu couldn't help feeling impressed by her ability to predict danger and her swift response.
He lifted Illya down from his shoulders and placed her behind him.
Only then could he fight freely and protect the child properly.
From inside his coat, he drew a Glock 17 pistol.
He also carried the Thompson Contender, loaded with a single specialized bullet—but it clearly wasn't suitable for the current unknown situation.
"Yo~ Have you eaten yet?"
"Oh, wait. It should be breakfast time for you."
As the rainbow pillar faded, two figures appeared.
Leon, dressed in casual clothing.
And in his arms—supported by one hand beneath her small backside—was Matou Sakura, wearing a sailor-style outfit.
Behind Kiritsugu, Illya peeked out curiously.
Her gaze fixed on Sakura.
For some reason, she felt an inexplicable attraction toward the other girl.
"Who are you?" Kiritsugu asked.
"Do you really need to ask?"
Leon didn't bother lying.
"I see."
"It seems your Servant must have rather impressive capabilities."
Kiritsugu had already noticed the crimson Command Seals on the back of Leon's right hand.
The Servant hiding somewhere unseen indirectly confirmed his assumption.
Meanwhile, Artoria stared unwaveringly at Leon—and at the air surrounding him.
Kiritsugu's habit of referring to Servants as mere tools made her delicate brows knit slightly in displeasure.
But with a potential enemy before them, she said nothing.
"I like talking to smart people."
"It saves time."
Leon smiled calmly.
His complete lack of tension immediately made Artoria even more cautious.
"Kiritsugu! Illya! Are you alright?"
Irisviel arrived with dozens of nearly identical combat maids, surrounding Leon.
She hurried to her husband and daughter's side, breathing heavily as she asked with concern.
"We're fine."
"He doesn't seem to be here to cause trouble."
Kiritsugu said that—
But the Glock 17 in his hand remained aimed directly at Leon.
The Holy Grail War had not officially begun yet.
Unless absolutely necessary, Kiritsugu had no intention of turning Einzbern Castle, his base of operations, into a battlefield.
The opponent before him looked full of openings—and was even carrying a child roughly Illya's age.
Yet Kiritsugu knew things were not that simple.
His instincts told him clearly:
The man in front of him was extremely dangerous.
If a battle broke out now, the outcome was uncertain.
But the safety of Illya and Irisviel would be difficult to guarantee—even with the protection of the Einzbern combat maids.
After all—
A Servant's combat ability far surpasses that of even elite magi.
Against Servants, these mass-produced homunculi would be meaningless no matter how many there were.
In the Holy Grail War, there was practically an iron rule:
Only a Servant can defeat another Servant.
"Guest from afar."
"I am Irisviel von Einzbern."
"According to the rules of the Holy Grail War, conflicts should not occur here. All battles are meant to take place in Fuyuki City."
Ignoring Kiritsugu's warning glance, Irisviel stepped beside Artoria and spoke calmly yet firmly.
The Greater Grail lay beneath Fuyuki City.
If Servants died here instead of there, the Greater Grail would not be able to collect the magical energy released upon their deaths.
Without that energy, the ritual to achieve the Third Magic—Heaven's Feel would lose its purpose entirely.
From every perspective, fighting here would be a terrible decision.
"I'm Leon Stark Odinson."
"And this is my… adopted daughter, Sakura."
Leon gave a slight gentlemanly bow.
Then he showed them the Command Seal on the back of his hand.
"There's nothing much to say about my origins."
"You only need to know that this Command Seal was taken from that old worm—Matou Zouken."
"I came here today simply to greet you."
"And to find Sakura a playmate around her age."
Leon wore a warm, infectious smile.
He looked every bit like a caring father.
"You expect us to believe that?"
Kiritsugu frowned.
He was clearly dissatisfied with Leon's explanation.
Traveling thousands of kilometers to infiltrate the Einzbern stronghold—just to find a playmate for his adopted daughter?
If you're going to lie, at least make it convincing.
Kiritsugu rolled his eyes inwardly.
He had never met a man who lied so effortlessly.
And that girl…
Although the color of her hair and eyes was slightly different, Kiritsugu clearly remembered her.
She was the adopted daughter sent from the Tohsaka family to the Matou family—
Tohsaka Sakura.
And now she was being carried in the arms of this mysterious man.
There was no way Matou Zouken would allow the future breeding vessel of the Matou bloodline to wander freely outside like this.
Unless—
He was already dead.
At that thought, Kiritsugu's vigilance toward Leon increased dramatically.
As for Leon's surname "Odinson", Kiritsugu paid it little attention.
Because under the influence of Presence Concealment EX, unless Leon revealed it himself, almost no one could perceive the true identity of his Servant.
Perhaps a certain "King of Heroes" who loved standing on streetlights could.
But Emiya Kiritsugu definitely could not.
And so—
Kiritsugu never even considered that possibility.
After all, in the modern world there were people with strange names like "Suzaku Genbu Edict."
Compared to that, adding the title "son of the Norse All-Father" as a surname wasn't particularly unusual.
BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 + chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789