While Iphis and Kayneth were negotiating, Satsuki was outside with Karna.
Seeing the eager look in his eyes, Satsuki—never one to toy with others—took out her folding fan from her personal space and removed the black pearl attached to its tail.
Then she released the Dead Line Boundary upon it, allowing Berserker to reappear.
Berserker's appearance had not changed much: still floating in midair, a pair of golden mechanical structures resembling wings behind him, and six differently sized and colored spheres—like miniature planets—orbiting around his body. His long white hair flowed freely, and two long blue horns protruded from his forehead.
The cold, emotionless eyes reflected no humanity—only the truth that this being was not a person but a "program," a "machine."
"Arjuna…"
Facing his half-brother, the Son of the Sun God's eyes flickered with complex emotion, his fiery red hair dimming slightly.
He tried to get closer to observe Arjuna's state, but an unseen force repelled him. Turning toward Satsuki, who was no longer concealing her Saint Graph, Karna spoke directly: "Lady Saver, what has happened to my brother?"
"He was merely extracted by the Counter Force from a fragment within a Lostbelt, then descended here with the qualification of a [Berserker]. His current state is simply his usual one."
"How could that be?" Karna asked in disbelief. "My brother is a being known as the 'Hero Blessed by the Gods.' How could he have become like this?"
"Although he appears unresponsive, I suggest you not approach him. It seems you rank rather high on his blacklist."
"Ah…"
A flash of confusion crossed Karna's eyes, and a surge of emotion—whether joy or sorrow—rushed through his chest, causing his mana to stir uncontrollably.
Sensing this, Berserker—Arjuna—began to move. He raised his hand, and the six planetary spheres began to converge. A murderous intent vast as an abyss surged toward Karna.
"Kar…na…"
Accompanied by that guttural voice, an immense obsession pounded violently against the Command Seal contract linking Satsuki and Arjuna. Had it been any ordinary Master, it would have been impossible to restrain such an overwhelming spirit.
But with the [Giant Tenseigan] and the [Three Divine Kings' Sacred Wheel], Satsuki was more than capable of suppressing Berserker.
With a wave of her hand, she confined Arjuna within a Dead Line Boundary, sealing him once again into the black pearl hanging from her folding fan.
"All right. I've fulfilled your request. Now it's time for my compensation."
Karna's gaze lingered wistfully on the black fan in her hand, but his eyes quickly regained sharpness. "Ah, indeed. To fight you with all my strength—that is the meaning of our existence in this Holy Grail War."
"But as you are now, you're not ready yet."
Satsuki looked unflinchingly at the battle-hungry Karna. "Son of the Sun God, show me your complete form three sunsets from now. Then, come find me."
"My complete form?"
Karna repeated the words blankly, his memory momentarily dipping into some distant, muddled past—but he could not retrieve anything useful.
"Go to Einzbern Castle and find the group from Chaldea. Tell them your purpose—they will help you."
As soon as her words fell, Satsuki's figure vanished from before Karna's eyes.
"The group from Chaldea…?"
Karna murmured softly to himself before his form dissolved into particles and disappeared.
...
Elsewhere, Iphis—having achieved her goal—received a letter of recommendation from Kayneth. With that letter, her path forward would lead her into the Mage's Association. At that stage, her situation would become both delicate and full of opportunity.
No one knew that she was [All the World's Evil] dwelling within the Holy Grail. To everyone else, she was merely a member of the Einzbern family.
The Third Magic was not considered a major field of study within the Clock Tower (as Kayneth's attitude clearly showed). Thus, Iphis would have ample time to continue advancing its research. Eventually, this young man would be able to free his soul from the Holy Grail.
Satsuki's thoughts went even further. She had already considered the eventual existence of Chaldea, as well as the possibility that—even after Caster's destruction—this place would continue to be known as a Singularity. Therefore, she preemptively planted a seed in this world, creating a future opportunity to intervene again.
After all, the formation of a so-called 'Lostbelt' held significant value for her—especially the beings known as the 'Lostbelt Kings.'
"Now, all that remains is to wait for the Holy Grail War to end."
Just like before, Iphis clung to Satsuki's arm. Moments ago, before Kayneth, she had displayed a commanding presence—controlling the situation and steering his judgment. But now, at Satsuki's side, she once again became as gentle and dependent as a little bird.
"If nothing unexpected happens…"
Satsuki didn't finish the sentence completely. That was her habit—and also the reason she had survived to this point.
When the two returned home, they immediately sensed an unusual surge of magical energy.
By the standards of magi, it was a steady and solid signature. Within Fuyuki City, only someone from the Tohsaka family could possess such refined magical characteristics.
As they approached, sure enough, they found a jade-green bird—held back by a boundary barrier—perched anxiously near the entrance.
When the bird saw Iphis, it immediately placed a letter upon a nearby pedestal and quickly flew away.
"Setting aside the quality of its magecraft, it's quite an exquisite familiar from a craftsmanship perspective."
Taking the letter, Iphis began to read.
The content omitted all unnecessary formalities—its intent was written simply and directly.
"…So, he's requesting to fight alongside us."
Iphis let out a soft, disdainful scoff.
What an utterly baffling decision. Now that Saver had demonstrated her power, this magus dared to entertain such a notion.
Satsuki's earlier statement had proven true: "Traditional magi are refined egoists—willing to sacrifice anything in pursuit of the Root."
"A rational choice would have been to maintain the current situation: Archer, Saber, and Rider forming an alliance against me."
If even such a coalition could not defeat Satsuki as Saver, then there was nothing more to say—it would be an overwhelming difference in power.
"And yet, to resort to such a hesitant, two-faced move at this stage… it means he's already been driven into complete panic by something."
From this single letter, Satsuki could almost read the Tohsaka family Master's anxiety and restlessness—his desperate attempt to appear calm while teetering on the edge of fear.
This sudden alliance request could be traced back to several days earlier.
Tokiomi Tohsaka—the fifth head of the Tohsaka family, the spiritual land supervisor of Fuyuki City, and the Master of Archer in this Holy Grail War.
Outwardly, he was an elegant, composed, and dignified middle-aged man. Tall and well-built, with handsome, sharply defined features, he carried an air of stern grace and solemnity.
Due to his experiences in youth, Tokiomi had grown proud and extremely confident—a man possessing both pride and backbone.
Having endured countless hardships throughout his life, he swallowed all the bitterness alone, transforming that pain into the foundation of his pride in secret.
Through great effort, he had obtained the shed skin of the First Serpent of the ancient Mesopotamian era—an artifact that allowed him to summon the mightiest Heroic Spirit: the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh.
When he saw everything unfolding exactly as he had planned, Tokiomi almost felt as if he had seized fate itself in his hands.
However, this illusion of control met an unexpected obstacle in his own disciple.
That Executor who had always obeyed silently and executed every command flawlessly—the son of his old friend—Kirei Kotomine.
When the Holy Grail War began, Tokiomi had planned to cooperate with him—using Kirei to publicly display Archer's majesty while concealing his own presence.
But Kirei refused him.
That refusal had greatly surprised Tokiomi.
Yet, upon learning the Servant his disciple had summoned and analyzing its Saint Graph, Tokiomi realized it was a Heroic Spirit no weaker than the [King of Heroes]. Even without knowing its true name, the readings alone proved as much.
Of course, this comparison excluded the difference in their Noble Phantasms' rank.
Still, the emergence of a mysterious Servant who completely defied logic—one who fought recklessly, disregarding all common sense—greatly displeased this self-proclaimed orthodox magus.
That Servant's blatant desire for battle had exposed them to nearly every other participant in the Holy Grail War, yet by doing so, it inadvertently aligned with Tokiomi's plan of lying in wait and striking when the moment was right.
However, the sheer power that had allowed that same Servant to defeat the King of Heroes in direct combat had left him utterly shaken.
"Ahh…"
So, when he realized the situation was slipping entirely out of his control, the ever-elegant Tokiomi Tohsaka could not help but sigh.
It was evening, the sun not yet set, when Tokiomi arrived at his wife's family estate. Standing before the Zenjou residence's gates, he had no intention of entering.
Now, as one of the Masters in pursuit of the Holy Grail, he had already stepped into a world of bloodshed.
To protect his wife and daughters, he had entrusted them to the Zenjou household—where no violence was permitted.
Aoi Tohsaka, his wife, was a gentle woman with green hair and a serene, old-fashioned beauty. She had once been the childhood friend and object of affection of Kariya Matou—but in time, she had chosen to marry Tokiomi instead.
It was not a tale of rivalry or coercion—merely mutual attraction, naturally developing into marriage.
What had drawn Aoi to Tokiomi was his flawless composure and excellence in ordinary life. Both Aoi and their daughter Rin were often spellbound by his grace and intellect.
Meanwhile, what drew Tokiomi to Aoi was the magical potential that flowed within her bloodline.
Of course, it could not be said that Tokiomi lacked love for his wife—but compared to his ultimate goal of reaching the Root, domestic happiness naturally ranked second.
From the perspective of a traditional magus, such reasoning was entirely logical.
Thus, Aoi understood and accepted his actions without interference—even agreeing to let their younger daughter, Sakura Tohsaka, be adopted into the Matou family. Though she had loved her daughter deeply, she still asked Kariya Matou to take good care of Sakura.
However, if she were ever to learn what had truly happened to Sakura within the Matou household… how would she then view her own choices—and her husband?
Fortunately, she never knew.
Because—
"Father!" x2
Two clear, childlike voices—sweet as nightingales—rang out from inside the house. And in that instant, Tokiomi's composed expression shifted into one of pure shock, as he realized once again that events had slipped beyond his control.
Before him stood his two daughters—Rin Tohsaka and Sakura Tohsaka—who had just opened the gate and were now standing side by side, gazing up at him with eyes as radiant as gemstones.
"This is… Sakura? How did you…"
Seeing both of his daughters running toward him, even the usually composed Tokiomi Tohsaka was momentarily at a loss for words. Instinctively, he spread his arms wide and welcomed the two as they leapt into his embrace.
For the first time in front of his wife, this man revealed an expression of genuine astonishment.
Then, burying the fleeting pang of regret deep within his heart, his gaze suddenly sharpened. He immediately drew his cane of civilization and turned toward another figure slowly emerging from within the house.
It was not a stranger—it was Kariya Matou, the younger son of the Matou family and Aoi's old friend.
"Kariya Matou… what are you doing here?"
"Oh, I just came to talk. It's about the Matou family—and the Holy Grail War."
At that moment, Kariya Matou had already returned to his usual appearance. Looking no different from a year ago, he appeared to be a slightly rebellious young man.
"And Sakura's stay at the Matou household has come to an end. So, as agreed, I've brought her back."
"Agreed?"
Tokiomi looked at him in confusion. Everyone knew the arrangement—that his daughter had been adopted by the Matou family as their second child.
As the younger son of the Matou family, Kariya Matou could not have been unaware of such a deal. So why had he brought Sakura back? And at such a time?
But after receiving Satsuki's guidance and witnessing Sakura's salvation, Kariya Matou had finally come to terms with his own inner turmoil.
When he learned from Satsuki that the man he had always regarded as his rival in love would eventually perish in the Holy Grail War, his heart was freed—though that did not mean he forgave him.
Thus, he had brought Sakura here without hesitation. Even when fate led him to cross paths with Tokiomi, he showed no sign of panic or discomfort.
This change made Tokiomi distinctly uneasy. The man who had once seemed timid and deferential before him now met his gaze with calm indifference—and even a trace of pity.
But reason told Tokiomi that such abnormality could not be without cause. Something had changed—something he had yet to discover.
"Aoi, take Rin and Sakura inside and wait. I have matters to discuss with Kariya Matou."
Gently patting the heads of his two adorable daughters, Tokiomi stepped past the gate and approached the young man before him.
Kariya, in turn, withdrew his gaze from Aoi and her daughters, fixing his cold eyes upon the elegantly poised magus.
"Yes, you're right—we do have a lot to talk about."