"...Everyone, due to an unfortunate incident involving my father, I will be assuming responsibility for overseeing this Holy Grail War."
At Fuyuki Church, Leon's group arrived to claim the promised Command Seal reward for defeating Caster.
However, the one who greeted them was not Risei Kotomine, who had originally issued the mission, but his son—Kirei Kotomine, formerly the Master of Assassin.
Only Leon, Irisviel, and Artoria had come.
Kiritsugu Emiya and Maiya Hisau had suffered severe physical, mental, and magical exhaustion during the battle. They had returned to their hidden safe house to recover before once again resuming their roles as assassins, lurking in the shadows and waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike a fatal blow against the remaining Masters.
Leon showed little reaction to Kirei's explanation.
It was something he had already expected—
It had simply happened sooner than anticipated.
Flexing the fingers of one hand, Leon casually swept his gaze across the church.
His eyes paused for the briefest instant on one of the supporting beams to Kirei's left before calmly moving elsewhere.
As the group's spokesperson, Irisviel stepped forward.
"Kirei Kotomine, you secretly allied yourself with Archer's Master while serving as Assassin's Master, and you attempted to assassinate the other Masters—including us. Now that Assassin has been eliminated, you're taking over as supervisor of the Holy Grail War. Do you really believe that's appropriate?"
"I admit that I resorted to rather underhanded methods."
Kirei answered without hesitation before turning toward Leon.
At that very moment, Leon was producing rice balls from seemingly nowhere like a stage magician, casually feeding them to Artoria one after another.
"As Assassin's Master, my Servant simply lacked the overwhelming combat ability possessed by Saber over there."
"So I had no choice but to rely on assassination—hardly an honorable tactic, but fitting for the Assassin class."
He bowed ninety degrees toward Irisviel.
"For that, Miss Irisviel, I offer my sincere apologies."
Straightening, he continued,
"However, the Holy Grail War is not yet over. My father's unexpected death remains unsolved, so someone must temporarily assume responsibility."
"Once the Holy Grail War concludes, I will willingly accept whatever accountability you wish to impose upon me."
"Does that sound acceptable?"
The emptiness in Kirei's dark eyes sent an involuntary chill through Irisviel.
Without realizing it, she edged a little closer to Leon and Artoria.
"I hope you'll keep your word."
Crossing her arms, Irisviel gave a quiet huff and looked away.
"Of course."
...Provided you're still alive by then.
A faint, unsettling smile appeared on Kirei's face.
"Also, allow me to thank you for your actions during the operation against Caster."
He bowed deeply toward Leon.
Whether sincere or not, his manners were impeccable.
"Without your holy sword, the disaster Caster unleashed would have been impossible to stop."
Leon replied evenly,
"It was my duty."
"...The duty of the 'Holy Sword Wielder,' I see."
Kirei paused briefly.
"There is both good news and bad news regarding the catastrophe Caster caused."
"Which would you like to hear first?"
"The bad news."
Leon answered immediately.
He preferred bitter before sweet.
Turning away with his hands clasped behind his back, Kirei said,
"The bad news is that the disaster affected nearly one-quarter of Fuyuki City."
"Close to three hundred thousand people perished in the cursed tide Caster unleashed."
"...Three hundred thousand?!"
The horrifying figure left Irisviel speechless.
Kirei nodded solemnly.
"That's correct."
"Then... what's the good news?"
Artoria asked at once.
"The good news is this."
"Although there were many bystanders, every one of them was swallowed into the body of the giant Sea Demon."
"When Saber completely annihilated both the Sea Demon and the ocean of curses with Excalibur, all ordinary civilians uninvolved with the Holy Grail War either escaped beforehand... or died."
"As a result, there are virtually no surviving eyewitnesses to the supernatural disaster."
"The authorities have officially explained the incident as an abnormal tidal surge caused by geological activity."
"That has greatly reduced the effort required to conceal the existence of the Holy Grail War."
Kirei answered calmly.
What no one present could see was the expression on his face.
It wore the delighted smile of a devil reveling in the tragedy.
Leon, however, perceived it through the combination of Observation Haki and Instinct.
He simply couldn't be bothered to expose him.
Instead, another thought crossed his mind.
If the destruction was truly this widespread...
If three hundred thousand people really died...
Would that "protagonist" still be alive?
"...How is that supposed to be good news?"
Irisviel frowned sadly.
Her already frail body swayed unsteadily.
Seeing this, Leon immediately stepped behind her and caught her before she could collapse.
"Irisviel!"
Artoria hurried to support her as well.
"I'm... fine."
Irisviel forced a weak smile.
Her body resembled a cracked cup with a hole in the bottom.
The Heroic Spirit's soul sealed inside her continued stretching that crack wider and wider.
With each passing day, her life force leaked away even faster.
"Now then."
"As the one who delivered the decisive blow against Caster, you are entitled to receive one Command Seal as your reward."
Kirei rolled up the sleeve of his right arm, revealing countless crimson Command Seals covering it.
The original three Command Seals from his contract with Assassin had already been consumed by Gilgamesh.
Following the battle at the Tohsaka Mansion and the subsequent clash with Berserker—Matou Kariya —
the eighteen unassigned Command Seals he had inherited from his father had already been reduced by two.
Sixteen remained.
"These are ownerless Command Seals left behind by Masters defeated in previous Holy Grail Wars," Kirei explained.
"If they're from defeated Masters..."
Irisviel looked toward the now-blank back of Kirei's right hand.
"...then why aren't Assassin's Command Seals among them?"
"You shouldn't have used any of yours."
"Not quite."
Kirei calmly shook his head.
"I already expended them in secret to strengthen Assassin."
"Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to divide himself into so many separate bodies for surveillance and assassination."
"Really?"
Irisviel remained skeptical.
Unfortunately, she had no evidence to contradict him.
Assassin had already perished.
His soul now rested within the Lesser Grail Vessel.
"I never lie."
"And I have no reason to begin now."
Kirei replied with perfect composure, refusing to fall into the trap Irisviel had attempted to set.
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